Defenders of Neopia
by LaDude111
Summary: The world of Neopia is slowly falling into despair. With a new mastermind who rivals Dr. Sloth, rising in power, all hope seems lost. That is, until an unlikely group of heroes, led by a young Kyrii, comes to the rescue.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, this is my first story: Defenders of Neopia.**

**Summary**

**The world of Neopia is slowly falling into dispair. A new mastermind has overthrown Sloth and is taking over the everything. A young Kyrii named Jeffory must take up arms with his group of misfits to save Neopia and reclaim the world's freedom.**

**Rated T.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Neopets. **

**Ps. Story takes place far in the future. 4010 to be exact. The mispelt stuff such as when Jeffory speaks are not errors. He is two so he speaks... two year old...**

In the large city of Meridel, the citizens were in an uproar. Dr. Sloth had finally been brought down! A mysterious swordsman had confronted him, siezing victory. But, unfortunatly, this "Hero" may be even worse than the green psychopath.

The people of Meridel watched as the victorbroadcasted himself from the Space Station to the jumbotrons throughout the futuristic city. "Greetings, my insignificant friends. I have freed you from the dark shadow of Sloth," the speaker was a shadow Eyrie with glowing red eyes, and a wicked smile upon his beak.

The camera panned from his wicked face to a beaten body laying in the fetal posistion in the corner. This body was Sloth's. He looked almost nothing like he used to. His body was mangled, his grand cloak torn in several places stained with his own blood and his face was so battered he looked deformed.

The once powerful mastermind raised his head weakly to speak to the Eyrie. "Y-o-you... are a true... monster...!" he rasped, clutching at his chest. The Eyrie laughed wickedly, pulling his sword out of its sheath and stalking towards the half-dead man.

The Eyrie moved in front of the camera. All the watching citizens could see was his cloaked back. They could faintly hear Sloth wheeze out "Please no...!"

The swordsman stood in front of his prey, chuckling softly until he abruptly stopped.

The witnesses watched with bated breath and was silent. It was as if the entire world had frozen.

It was a sickening slashing sound that broke the silence. The onlookers gasped loudly. Horrified mothers reached down to cover their children's eyes from what appeared on screen next.

The Eyrie moved out of the shot, revealing Sloth dead. A black sword with a purple handle had impaled his chest, causing blood to slowly leak out. The viewers paled at the sight, looking ready to vomit as the Eyrie yanked the sword from Sloth's mangled body. He turned back to the screen, raising his arms in the air.

"You are free from Sloth's shadow. Remember your savior's name! Billius Drake Kass! Wallow in despair, as you suffer the my wrath!" he proclaimed, letting out a wild laugh.

A loud whooshing sound broke through the air, causing the traumatized citizens to look upwards. In the sky, something was coming towards them from the Space Station.

They were... robots. Several landed with lound clangs, looking downwards. They were about the size of a average sized Neopia. Maybe a little taller. On their chests was an odd symbol. It was a pair of red eyes with a purple cloud surrounding them. The color of the robots was about the same as Kass'. Black torsos with grey arms and legs, with purple hands.

A rather bold looking Techo crept up to one of the robots, ignoring the protests of his panicking wife. He poked at the robots crystasl-shaped head. For a second, nothing happened... until its eyes began to glow an eerie red. Its head snapped up, looking straight into the Techo's eyes. He screamed and attempted to move away, but the robot had other ideas. It reached out its arm, grabbing the man around his throat.

The citizens once again watched with bated breath.

As the Techo struggled to escape gasping loudly, the robot seemed to laugh. It was a strange sparking sound. Then, it threw the man to the side. He flew through the air, and landed with a loud thud on the see-through street.

The citizens began to scream, running as fast as their legs could take them. The robots all began to spring to life, their arms shot out to the side the left turned into a saw-like blade, while the right turned into a sleek, shiny gun. They all did this at the same time, making it seem like a sort of choreographed dance. It sooned turned deadly, however as they began to run after the scattering citizens, slicing through the people they caught up to and shooting the ones they couldn't reach.

A small Kyrii about the age of two named Jeffory was running among the screaming people. His small size kept him from getting noticed by the rampaging robots. "Mommy, Daddy!" he cried, tears pouring from his electric blue eyes. One of the robots stopped its rampage, as a small compartment opened on its head, as a tiny satelite popped out. It began to send out sound waves.

Bright blue light shot down from the Space Station, engulfing unfortunate victims. Kass was now taking prisoners.

Jeffory was knocked over by a screaming Lupe. The toddler scraped his knee, letting out a cry of pain. He began to cry harder, attempting to crawl to safety, managing to call out between sobs "Mommy, Daddy!" he crawled to the side of a building and curled up, rocking back and forth.

A stray shot from one of the robots hit the building the sobbing Kyrii was hiding next to. A large piece of rubble broke off, falling towards the Kyrii. He screamed and pressed himself to the wall, avoiding being crushed. But now he was trapped, completly out of sight. He finally caught sight of his parents, but they too were engulfed by the blue beam. Gone.

Jeffory's entire world came crumbling down. "Mommy! Daddy!" he wailed.

Silence. Complete silence. The rampage was over. The robots had taken all the prisoners they wanted. They killed the rest. There were not alot of people left, now.

Bodies were all around the city, leaving a foul stench.

After much struggling, Jeffory managed to pull himself out of the rubble, limping over to where his parents had been. He sniffled wiping his tears away. He looked up to the sky, hoping that the pretty lights would come back, bringing his parents home.

He had sat down, whimpering "Mommy Daddy com home..." over and over. When that didn't work, he took a deep breath and called at the sky "MOMMY DADDY COME HOME!" it only made his throat sore.

He curled up once again, shaking. He had cried even harder than he had before. He cried himself to sleep.

Jeffory slowly awoke. He was laying in a soft warm bed. He scanned the room, confuzed. Where was he? He looked at the flower wallpaper. It was pretty... like the lights. The lights that took his mommy and daddy from him.

He began to sniffle. He was so confuzed. He was in an entirely new place. He was all alone... he was hungry. He looked down at his injured leg. It now had a bandage on it. It was still a little sore. The door across from the bed opened slowly. A Kacheek who looked about in her mid-twenties came in. She was a light blue color, had long black hair and brown eyes. She was carrying a paper plate with a simple sandwich.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're awake," she said with a sigh of relief. She had a very soothing voice, like his mother... he felt sad again. The woman walked over to him, placing the sandwich on the table sitting next to the bed. She kneeled down beside him. Jeffory didn't say anything. He just sat there.

The woman finally broke the silence. "My name is Anna. What's yours?" she asked softly. Jeffory sniffled and stared at the gentle Kacheek for a minute before answering. "Jeffy Knighs..." he responded, in his toddle speak. Anna seemed to understand what he was trying to say.

"Well, Jeffory Knights, do you have a family?" she questioned.

Jeffory looked away, whimpering "Mommy and Daddy went away..."

Anne seemed to expect this answer, as she gently took his tiny hand in her own. "I see... Jeffory, this is my home. I have a son your age. Would you like to stay with us?" she offered.

Jeffory looked at her, hope in his eyes. "Reawwy?" he asked smiling a little. Anna responded with a small smile, nodding. Jeffory nodded his head enthusiasticaly. Jeffory couldn't stop his eyes from going to the sandwich she had placed on the bedside table.

Anna noticed this. "Are you hungry?" she asked, knowing the answer.

Jeffory once again nodded. "May I...?" he asked. Anna reached over and picked up the plate, handing it to him. Jeffory took it muttering "thank you" before wolfing it down.

Anna's son was named Sam. He was a green Kacheek with black eyes a very outgoing personality and a notable tuft of hair on the top of his head.

He had been very happy to meet Jeffory, and they quickly became friends. Best friends in fact. The two did everything together.

Anna had recently opened her home as an orphanage for the children who had lost their familys in the attack. Lots of the children in the city had moved in, making it a tight fit. Some of the survivors had helped make some revovations to the building. It took awhile, but soon, it was big enough for all the children.

Eleven years had passed sense then. Jeffory and Sam were now thirteen years old, and were a couple of pranksters. While Jeffory was a quiet young man, Sam was the opposite. Even so, Jeffory always carried out their pranks. In fact, Jeffory was the "man with the plan" as Sam put it.

The two cracked so many jokes and pulled so may pranks, that the locals titled them "The Pranksters of Meridel". To say the pair approved of the name would be an understatement.

Jeffory wasn't just close with Sam. He was close to most of the kids in the orphanage. They were like one big happy family. Sometimes though, Jeffory would still feel lonely without his parents. It was natural, though.

It wasn't all well and good in the whole city. Meridell was practiacaly in ruins. Homes had been destroyed, skyscrapers had come tumbling down and the city's population had dwindled from over a thousand occupants to a couple hundred.

Kass' rule was a terrible one. He had raised taxes to ridiculus heights that people were at their wit's end.

It was a truly heartbreaking sight. Roads out of Meridel were closed off. No one could get in or out. Robots patrolled the streets, looking for victims to punish if they got out of line. But still, somehow... life went on. Even if it it seemed impossible to live.

Jeffory was sitting in the cafeteria eating a bland sandwich. Next to him, Sam was sniffing his "mashed pottatos". "What is this crap?" the Kacheek asked, bewildered. Jeffory looked at it, poking it with his spoon. "I think it's the turkey...?" he asked. George, a nerdy Quiggle looked at them from across the table. "No, uh that's the turkey," he informed them, pointing at a large lump of... stuff. Sam pushed his tray away. "Not hungry..."

Jeffory rolled his eyes, glancing at the cafeteria door as it opened. Mr. Rourke, a middle-aged Yurble stepped into the room. He called out among the chatter "Can I have your attention, please?" the chatter continued. Rourke glanced at the lunch lady, Helga. "Can you...?" Helga nodded.

"LEESTEN UP, YOU LARDBALLS! OR I VILL MAKE YOU CLEAN THE FLOORS WITH YOUR TOUNGES!" she hollered, effectively silencing them. Rourke patted her on the back. "Thank you Helga." he turned to the students. "I am pleased to inform you all that tommorow we are going on a field trip!" the students cheered. Jeffory slapped Sam a high-five. Maybe they would finaly get to see the world!

"To the Space Station," Rourke added. The cheering stopped. It was silent. A student coughed.

Rourke sighed. "Kass has invited us all to see his 'grand masterpiece'..." Rourke said, sounding bored. Jeffory began putting a plan together in his head. He would save his parents tommorow and Kass was going to pay.

So here he was. Jeffory was silent in his seat. They were on the school bus that would take them to the space station. Next to him, Sam was wondering why it wasn't a hoverbus like every other vehicle. Jeffory's face was expressionless. Much like whenever he had a plan. Sam seemed to pick up on this. "Jeff... I know what you're thinking..." Sam muttered.

Jeffory glanced at him. "Nothing you say will stop me from doing this."

Sam shook his head. "I know... So, what's the plan?" he whispered.

Jeffory grinned. "When we get up there, here what we do..." he whispered in Sam's ear. The Kacheek cried "COOL-" but Jeffory clamped his hand over the knucklehead's mouth. Jeffory glanced around. There were some students eyeing them curiously, so Jeffory glared at them, making hem go back to their business.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Jeffory hissed at the Kacheek, who nodded.

The bus driver, Vector, was an overweight Skieth. He hated children oh, so much. They were like bugs you couldn't squish. This was why he never got a wife, as he thought she would want kids. Well, his mother (who he still lived with) said it was because of his attitude. _Moron..._ he thought, bitterly. He looked over his shoulder at the kids.

"Alright, you kids. I want a nice quiet ride to the Space Station. That means no yelling, no laughing and no more yells of the p word!"

In the back of the bus, a sneaky looking Moehog sniggered.

So the ride was silent. Not. The students ignored the Skeith. He was all talk no action, as Jeffory liked to put it. After several minutes, they reached the launch pad. This launch pad had been created as a transportation device to the Space Station. It was supposed to teleport users to another pad at the Station, but when the inventor tested it, poor Larry was rocketed into space. This earned it the name "launch pad".

This was what most of the students had been looking forward to. It was the closest thing to a roller coaster they could get on.

The bus parked on the pad. At that, the students began to count down. 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1!

With a loud whoosh, they rocketed into space. Cheers of glee filled the bus. Jeffory couldn't help but feel dizzy. It was awesome, though. A girish shriek filled the bus, outscreamingt the rest of the students. If one had turned around, they would see that it was the same sneaky-looking Moehog.

They landed at the station with a dull thud. Sam let out a cry of "AWESOME SAUCE!" getting laughs from the rest of the students. The students piled out of the bus, still laughing. As soon as Vector got out, Sam put the plan in motion. "!" this silenced the students as they looked at him, wondering what the heck his problem was. "AAAA-AAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAH! I GOTTA PEE REAL BAD!" he wailed. He fell to his knees, crawling to Vector. He wrapped his arms around his leg. "LEMME GO TO THE BATHROOM!" he shrieked.

Jeffory face-palmed. He was hoping for something less theatric...

Vector sighed. "Knights! Take your buddy to the john! I dun wanna listen ta him no more!" he oredered. He pointed to the left. "On that side of the station." Jeffory nodded, pulling Sam to his feet. Sam waddled after him for good measure.

When they were out of earshot, Sam and Jeffory broke down laughing. "What the heck was that?" Jeffory asked between laughs. Sam laughed, "Oh, I was born to act!"

Abruptly, Jeffory stopped laughing. Sam opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but he was whacked over the head with a metal arm. "Robot-" Jeffory shouted before getting knocked out as well.

Jeffory opened his eyes, and wished he hadn't. He was face-to-face with a skeleton. He attempted to move away, but he got a nasty shock instead. He was tied up with some kind of electric rope. Probably to keep him from struggling to much. Sam's voice broke the silence.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked casualy.

Jeffory glanced around the room, careful not to move to much. The room smelt terrible, to begin with. It was too dark to see anything unless it was in your face, like that skeleton and his head hurt. "I'm thinking..." he responded. It was obvious that nothing good ever happened in this room...

A bright light came into the room, making them squint. Two figures walked into the room. The first thing Sam said was "AAAAAAH! ALIENS!" If Jeffory wasn't binded, he would have hit Sam over the head.

"Silence, prisoner," ordered the robotic Gharrl. The second robot, a Blumaroo, raised a sword above its head. He brought it down, slicing through the ropes binding the Kyrii. Jeffory was roughly pulled to his feet. Sam was treated the same.

"Hey, easy on the goods, pal!" he snapped.

They had been dragged through half of the cells, and there were no signs of his parents.

Jeffory held onto the idea that they were in further somewhere. He was hanging onto false hope.

They were brought to the bridge. Inside, was the man that had caused all of Meridell's troubles. Billius Drake Kass.

His back was to them, at the moment. Slowly he turned around. Jeffory could get a good look at the terrible man. He wore a bodysuit that was mostly covered with black armor, on his torso was the same mark that was on the robots eleven years ago. He wore metal boots that clanged as he stepped towards them. The sword sheath on his hip, jangled as he moved.

When Jeffory saw those red eyes, he froze. They were so full of negative emotions. Anger, hate, evil and maybe, just maybe sadness. Jeffory wondered what happened to make Kass like this...

The Eyrie glanced at the burned fur on Jeffory's arms. He glared at the robotic soldiers. "Whose idea was it to use the electric wires?" he hissed. The Blumaroo, pointed at the Gharrl. Kass nodded. "Gamma, you are dismissed." the Blumaroo let Jeffory go and marched out the door.

"Beta." the Gharrl found his own feet very interseting at the moment. "Beta, look at me," Kass said, as if scolding a naughty child. Beta slowly raised his head. "Didn't I tell you they were to be unharmed? Hmm?" Beta nodded sheepishly. Kass tutted. "Oh, dear. This simply won't do, will it?" Beta shook his head "no".

Kass said, "Beta, may I see your sword?" if Robots could look confuzed, Beta would look very confuzed. He handed Kass his sword. Kass examined it for a minute. Beta spoke up. "I thought-" Kass cut him off. "THAT'S THE PROBLEM ISNT IT? YOU THINK! I DO THE THINKING AROUND HERE!" he roared. The sword flashed. In an instant, Beta's head was laying on the floor, sparking. Kass through the sword at Beta's crumpled body.

He looked at Jeffory and Sam. "Ah, I forgot I had guests..." the pleasant tone had returned.

Jeffory knew Kass was bonkers.

"Jeffory, may I ask you something?" he asked politely.

Jeffory's eyes widened. "H-how do you know my name...?" he asked softly.

Kass smiled wickedly. "Oh, I've been observing you... You see, you have something I want. Do you know what hat is?" he questioned. Jeffory shook his head.

"You have a certain... ability..." he hissed.

Sam chose that moment to speak up. "Yo, leave him alone! He doesn't have anything!"

Kass' eyes flashed maniacaly. "SILENCE!" he roared. Sam whimpered.

He turned back to Jeffory. "If you give me your power, I will let you and your little friend go... how about that? And you'll be able to live under my wonderful reighn for the rest of your life."

That tore it. Jeffory snapped. "Shut up! There's nothing wonderful about what you did to our home! You're a monster! You took my parents! You killed hundreds of people!" as Jeffory yelled, Kass' eyes began to narrow and his hand began to shake.

Jeffory continued. "I don't know if I have any kind of power, but even if I did... I would never give it to monsters like you!" he finished.

That was the last straw. Kass took out his own blade. "I will take it by FORCE, then!" he brought the sword slamming down. Jeffory pushed Sam to the right, while he rolled to the left. In his roll, he managed to grab Beta's sword.

_CLANG!_

Jeffory locked blades with the Eyrie. Kass proved to strong, however. He was beginning to push Jeffory towards the ground. Jeffory attempted to force him back. What happened next, was almost as confuzing as Kass' nonsense about powers and whatnot.

Kass' sword began to glow with a grey aura. Jeffory could feel the evil coming from the Eyrie. Sam attempted to rush Kass from the right, but Kass had other ideas. His arm glowed with the evil aura, as he backhanded Sam across the face. Purple electricity sparked across Sam's body as he flew across the room, slamming into the wall.

"SAM!" shouted Jeffory. Kass let out a mighty roar, as the grey aura surrounded his entire body. Jeffory shouted as he flew backwards. The evil power broke his sword in half, and flew towards the glass seperating the them from outer space. Jeffory hit it with so much force that it broke, and he was sucked into space.

He lost consiousness as he plummteted towards earth.

**Okay, there you have it. Chapter 1! Hope you enjoyed it, see ya next time!**

**LaDude out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Revised chapter 2**

**Alright, next chapter! But first, thanks to everyone for your kind reviews. I appreciate it! I also want to apologize for the delay. Now then...let it begin!**

**Defenders of Neopia: Chapter 2: Now what?**

Jeffory landed in the ocean with a loud splash. The freezing cold water woke him up, fast. He floated towards the surface. As soon as he emerged from what could have been his icy grave he took in a deep breath of much needed air. The water was so stinking cold! His teeth chattered and he was shaking like a leaf. _What happened? Why am I in the ocean?_ the confuzed Kyrii thought to himself. Then it hit him. "SAM!" He shouted as the realization struck him that he left his friend behind. _Kass..._

Then his stomach lurched as he realized, he and Sam were the only two prisoners on the station. He had gotten quite a good look around as the robots were dragging him room to room on the way to the bridge. And he realized that his parents weren't there... That meant " They're dead..." he mumbled to himself in between gulps of salt water. His heart broke. They were really gone. And now, he WAS alone. A single tear slipped out of his eye, slid down his face, and plopped into the ocean.

But he couldn't mourn now. He had to be strong. His mind went to his friend. His thoughts were in one tangled , jumbled mess. He couldn't remember every detail of those last few seconds but he saw that Kass had injured Sam

As he bobbed around in the ocean, trying to keep his head above water as best he could, he turned to his left and saw a blurry image in the distance. With one hand he rubbed his tired eyes and then squinted. LAND! That was good. That was the first good thing that has happened in awhile. He moved his left arm to begin swimming to shore. He let out a cry of pain when his shoulder began to sting like crazy. He remembered. "Kass got me..." he muttred. Then he cursed. "Damn. NOW what do I do...?" He was so busy thinking, and panicking if the truth be told, that he didn't notice the massive wave about to crash down on him.

He turned around and gasped. "Oh, sh..." His voice was cut off by the towering wave slamming into him and forcing him under. The icy water began to fill his lungs. He couldn't move. The pain in his arm made it impossible to swim to the surface. His vision was failing him. _Is this it...? Is it all over for me?_ His eyes closed.

Jeffory awoke, staring towards the sky at a beautiful sunset. "Heaven...?" he rasped. As he began to speak he sputtered and coughed and gasped for breath. Fighting to inhale the fresh cool air, he tried to get to his knees but his left arm gave out on him causing him to fall face flat on the sand. _Nope. Not Heaven._ He thought._ In Heaven you don't feel any pain._

Jeffory was shaking with pain but he still managed to get to his feet. His eyes scanned the horizon. He took it all in slowly and as it began to come into focus he realized he was back in Neopia. _What is that city in the distance_ he wondered. _Could it be Brightvale?_ _Er...New...Brightvale_, he corrected himself.

He had grown up hearing the stories of how that raving lunatic, Sloth, had destroyed it and how the descendants of King Hagen had worked tirelessly to rebuild it. It gave him some hope that maybe one day Meridel could rise again.

He was daydreaming of that grand day, when a sound in the distance quickly brought him back to reality. His eyes landed on the sight of a dirt path in front of him. It seemed to lead right into the forest.

"Dang, NOW what do I do?" he growled irritably. Just when it looked like he might be catching a break, he found himself facing a whole new set of trouble. Since he was a young Kyrii he had been hearing stories of the gruesome monsters that lurked in the forests around Neopia.

On the bright side, it wasn't dark... yet. He would be able to pass through the woodland before the creatures of the night came out. He was worried though that his damaged arm and tired body would hinder his progress.

He knew he had only two choices and he didn't particularly like either one of them. On the one hand, he could camp out here til morning and hope the he could start the journey after a good night's sleep. This would leave poor Sam alone with Kass much longer than Jeffory was comfortable with. Jeffory was worried that Sam wouldn't have the good sense to keep his smart mouth shut in Kass' presence. He was worried that if he left Sam alone with him for too long that Kass might serve him up for breakfast. _Sam pancakes anyone?_

On the other hand he wasn't so sure that he would actually make it to the other side of the forest in one piece. Either way was a death certificate for one of the teens. He shook his head. _Time to be a man._ He gathered his remaining courage and walked into the darkness of the woods.

Jeffory had been in the woods for God only knows how long. He finally found a clearing where he could sit down and catch his breath and check his watch. When he dug it out of his pocket he found that it was covered with hardened sand. Now the sun was going down and he had no idea what time it really was.

Suddenly he stared in horror. He realized the date had already changed once on his watch. It was now the twenty fourth. The field trip was on the twenty third. He must have been out cold on the beach for a freaking day!

His arm began to hurt even more. With much difficulty, he took off his tee shirt to examine the wound. He gasped. The wound was green..._Must have gotten infected._ He cursed for the second time that day. That was two more than Anna would allow. EVER. He stood up. This was just GREAT! Now he had to get his arm medical attention. That would slow him down even more! He had to keep moving, Sam's life depended on it. So did his. He moved deeper into the forest.

He trudged on and on, hour after after hour as the sky grew darker and darker. Every mile looked the same. He began to wonder if he was wasting his time._ Will I ever get to Sam...soon enough to make a difference_?

Jeffory was irritble earlier. Now it was safe to say he was ticked. His legs ached, his arm hurt, and his eyes kept trying to close. He wanted nothing more than to curl up on the forest floor and take a nice nap. _Shake it off, Jeff. Shake it all off!_ he kept thinking to himself. Although after the first five hundred times it stopped working. He tripped over a tree root. After hitting the ground he lay there. Too tired to go on he fell asleep.

Jeffory was in a cloudy place. In fact he was standing on a cloud. Ok! NOW he was in heaven. _Great. I'm dead_ he thought. How did he die though? He didn't die from falling over a ROOT did he? If anyone asked, he was gonna go with a manly story and say he was mauled by an angry two-headed monster. Yeah, that'll work.

He jumped when he heard a voice to his left. He looked that way but nothing was there. Now it came from his right. "Jeffory..." It was calling out to him now. He looked to his right and again, he saw nothing. He stopped searching and listned. "Jeffory..." It sounded soothing, and loving...Like...like his mother's voice.

He found his voice and called out "Mom?" He heard a deeper voice chuckling. It wasn't an evil chuckle like Kass' though. It sounded like his Dad. He called out to the second voice. "Dad?"

Then he saw them. His parents materialized in front of him. The green male on the left. He was tall and muscular. His hair was straight and smooth, while Jeffory's was messy and spiky. But his father's face was kind and gentle and He was beaming at Jeffory. Next to his father was his mother. She was smaller than his dad. She was Blue. She was petite and gentle looking. Her hair was long and beautiful and she was smiling at him through a veil of tears. Happy tears, he was hoping. "You sure have grown. Buddy." said his father. Jeffory couldn't speak. He couldn't belive it. There they were. Standing right in front him.

Jeffory began to sputter and choke out the words.. "W-where am I? Is this heaven...?" His mother shook her head. "It's wherever you wan't it to be honey."

Suddenly, the scenery changed to the bottom of the sea. He gasped. Then he realized he wasn't coughing. He could breathe under here.

"How..." His father answered the unasked question. "Your'e dreaming. You don't need to breathe." "So, since I'm dreaming, that means...you and mom aren't really..." So that's why she was crying.

"I'm sorry." his mother said with compassion in her voice. "Don't be. Seeing you is enough." said Jeffory quickly. His father spoke again. "We know how hard it's been for you. But whatever happens..." his Dad started. "Just know that we are so proud of you." "And we love you," his mother finished. They stepped forward and embraced him. Jeffory returned the hug. "Now you have to wake up. It's coming." It?

As his mother spoke, she began to fade. "No, Mom don't go..." His father began to fade as well. But before he was completely gone he gave these directions to Jeffory. "As soon as you wake start running. Keep running forward. Don't stop for any reason. Turn around if you need to. It should motivate you." "Must be bad, huh?" asked Jeffory. "Heh. You always did catch on quick." With that the dream ended.

Like his father said, as soon as Jeffory awoke, he got to his feet and started running. It was exhausting and his legs were protesting with each step. He heard a loud roar behind him. He did need motivation so he looked behind him. It was a ghastly monster. It was like a giant snake with a Morthog's nose complete with the tusks. Jeffory let out a terrified shout and sped up. The exit of the forest was right in front of him. "Almost there..." He ignored the pain of his legs and ran faster. He felt the Snakehog's breath on him. It really could slither couldn't it?

Jeffory could see that he was coming to the end of the forest. And what an odd sight he saw before him. Lined up in a neat row, one after another, were the most gigantic trees he had ever seen. Someone must have planted them there like that. But who...? And why...? There was only a little bit of space in between each one. Just enough to let in some light and hopefully let Jeffory out.

It would be a tight squeeze but he would be able to make it. The Snakehog would not. 3...2...1! He lept forward, twisting in midair to fit through the gap. SUCCESS! He landed hard on the ground. He was on a dirt path. He crawled far away , then he turned around and chuckled. He could see the beast's eye through the gap. Now he knew why the trees were planted like that. Someone else had met up with this monster before and had come up with a way to contain the attrocious beast.

He caught his breath and sighed. "That was close. Stupid monster." The beast resented that. It let out a earsplitting roar. Jeffory lept to his feet and ran as far away as he could.

He followed the dirt path up a large hill. Once at the top he paused and smiled. Brightvale was dead ahead. All he had to do was head down the hill, follow the road straight, and he would arrive at the high-tech city. "Don't worry, Sam I'll save ya. I promise." With that he continued down the road.

**WHEW! THAT took awhile. Jeff has had an interesting journey so far. Anyway I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it! Next chapter will be up, soon enough. R&R please. LaDude out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author' notes.**

**Hello, again, dudes and dudettes! This is the third chapter. By the way, I forgot to add last chapter that this will be a series. So as soon as D.O.N. is finished, I will start working on D.O.N. 2. This is going to be a longer chapter. ANYWAY, enough of my blabbering...LET IT BEGIN!**

**Defenders of Neopia: Chapter 3: The Academy.**

Jeffory had followed the road right into New Brightvale. He was filled with hope. Now he was even closer to getting back to the station, freeing Sam, and avenging his deceased parents. His body was racked with pain. But his heart was soaring! "Finally, I made it!" The beatuiful city was suspended above the ground. Citizens who wandered throughout the streets walked across transparent footing. All Jeffory could see when looking down was fog. He was glad he wasn't afraid of heights. The huge buildings did make him feel very dizzy though. He wandered around for awhile in search of a hotel. He noticed that all around him Neopians gave him odd looks. No one cared to help the suffering Kyrii though. He must've looked awful! His clothes were still wet. His hair was a mess, twigs and leaves stuck out of it in odd places . And he was limping. _What a good impression Jeff!_ he thought to himself.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After more wandering around the huge city he began to grow disheartened. He feared that maybe there wasn't a hotel in the entire city. Perhaps the place was so full of shops and skyscrapers that they had no room to build a hotel. Then he realized something. He had no Neopoints with him! Now he couldn't even afford a room! He was beginning to panic. His remaining sanity kicked in and he calmed himself down, sat down on a nearby bench, and went over his options. Number 1 would be to have a street performance. But that wouldn't work, for Jeffory had no talent.

And if he did, he doubted that anybody would watch a beaten, filthy, and probably smelly Kyrie. Number 2 would be to sneak into a hotel ,risk getting caught and be arrested. _Scratch that one..._ he thought bitterly. And finally, number 3 would be sleeping in the park and risk getting mugged. "Okay I am officialy screwed!" As he pondered the mess he was in, a young female purple Kweetox approached him.

"Excuse me but are you okay?" Jeffory jumped. He didn't see her approach him. He turned to face her. She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, with green eyes and spoke in an English accent. She was wearing a simple yellow sundress. Jeffory thought she was very pretty. "Umm, well..." Jeffory began to stutter and stumble over his own words. He had always been bad at talking to girls since...ever. _I wonder... _No. She must've had a boyfriend... Besides, she was too old for him and WAY out of his league. Still, a guy can dream!

"Are you sure you're alright?" The girl was staring at him in confusion. Jeffory was probably gaping at her. He calmed himself and quickly made up a story. He didn't tell her the real thing, this was his problem and he would fix it. He told her that his school field trip was going to Werelupe woods. To "observe thier natural habitat." And he told her he got separated from the class and he needed a place to stay.

She looked at him very sympatheticly. "I may be able to help. My aunt's house is a bed and breakfast. I live with her. She would probably allow you to stay awhile." she informed him. "Wait!" Jeffory started. "I have no money." he continued, sounding panicked. The Kweetox shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She stood up, and looked over at him. "Can you walk?" Jeffory merely nodded and stood up. "Follow me. By the way, I'm Maya. What's you're name?" she asked. "Jeffory" he answered.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory followed Maya to a small building in the east side of Brightvale. Jeffory was relieved, in a way. It was nice to see a small homey place instead of the towering skyscrapers. Maya's voice caught his attention. "C'mon, follow me." He obliged.

Once inside Jeffory felt an odd feeling of peace. It was warm and toasty inside. There was peacefull music on the radio. It was a very cute place.

There was a virtual meadow as the wallpaper while the carpet was grass, virtual grass! Jeffory never saw that in the orphanage. Mainly because Meridell's technology had been damaged. _Thanks to those flippin robots..._ he thought angrily. The only thing that stood out was the large transmission terminal in the left corner. Jeffory probably felt so much better because this was the only safe place he had been in in awhile. Maya walked over to an 'Employees only' door, "Wait here." she told Jeffory, who nodded.

He heard muffled voices from behind the door. They seemed to be arguing about something. Jeffory let his curiosity get the best of him. He pressed his ear to the door and listned. "...can't just take in strays Maya!" Jeffory arched a brow. Did that woman just call him a "stray"? He had been insulted a lot but that took the cake! He was about to open the door and barge in and shout "WHO YOU CALLIN' A STRAY, LADY!" but he decided that wouldn't solve anything and would probably get him thrown out of this sanctuary. "Auntie Emma, the poor thing looks like he went to he$ and back! Please, he needs medical attention! And he got seperated from his class. He's far too young to be out here alone, he's battered and beaten! He's obviously in pain, he's limping, AND he has a black eye."

Jeffory gulped. Did he have a black eye? He felt his eye. It was indeed swollen. He thought about it. While he was looking for a safe haven, he noticed that his eyesight was blurry. He had told himself that it was because he had not slept in awhile. Obviously, that wasn't the case.

"Fine, fine." He heard Emma say in her English accent. He heard footsteps approaching the door. Jeffory ran as fast as he could to a chair by the window, sat down, and began to whistle "innocently". Maya and her aunt walked out of the room. Emma was a split colored Kweetox wearing a jeans and a plain shirt, with a flowered apron over it. She also looked very irritated, untill she lay eyes on the Kyrii. Jeffory noticed that tears began to well up on the corners of her black iris'. _Great. I'm so ugly, I made her eyes water._ Jeffory thought. "You poor thing! Maya dear, get him a drink please. I'm gonna call the hospital." Maya trotted off around the corner while Emma ran to the transmission terminal.

Soon Maya came running back into the room holding a cup of water. She handed it to Jeffory. He took it, thanked her and began to drink it greedily. He was so thirsty and he was starving and he ached everywhere. Curling up in the meadow and taking a nap sounded pretty good right now. Emma walked back over to him. "Dear, can you walk?" she asked softly. Jeffory nodded. "Good," She helped him to his feet. "Now follow me, down this hall..." Maya allowed him to use her as support. They walked slowly down the hall.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory was led into a small room with a big window and an even bigger bed. If Jeffory didn't feel like he was about to drop dead he would've lept for joy. Maya led him over and helped him lay down. He sank into the bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow he fell asleep.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

A couple days had passed and Jeffory hadn't been allowed to exit the room which he slept in. He didn't mind though. The bed was so comfortable that he didn't want to get up. Doctor's had treated him like crazy over those three days. They had to clean out his infected wound, treat his black eye etc. Also they had to help his pnuemonia. They had also given him a couple of potions that sped up the healing process.

Jeffory hadn't told anybody what realy happened to him He stuck to his Werelupe Woods story because he did not want them involved. He had his pride to look after and this was his problem and he would solve it. (Mostly pride, though.) Jeffory had realy gotten sidetracked on his "rescue mission". But on the good side, he felt at home. True this was not his home, but still...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

On the fourth morning Jeffory was allowed to join Emma and Maya for breakfast. By now Jeffory was completly fixed up and ready to continue his journey. He just felt like hanging around awhile longer. Maya and her aunt didn't mind at all. In fact, they were quite happy, they enjoyed his company. Emma even let Jeffory call her Em!

Emma asked, "Jeffory, have you ever heard of the Defenders Academy?" Jeffory shook his head 'No'. Emma continued, "It's a school that trains Neopians to become Defenders. If they graduate they become true Defenders." This caught Jeffory's attention. A school that could teach him to fight... "Tell me more, please." He asked. Maya spoke up, "Students go on missions to different places all the time. It's sort of a way to tour Neopia as well."

_Different places... that might mean..._ "Do students go to...dangerous places?" Jeffory needed to know more. Going on missions would mean getting a chance to go to the Space Station. Then he could rescue Sam! And do away with that sack of Kou manure, Kass...! "Where is this place! The academy, I mean!" Emma chuckled, "I knew you would ask. If you go out the west gate you will be led across a long dirt path that will take you straight to the academy. Are you going to join?" Jeffory nodded eagerly. "Alright then. You can leave tommorow." Jeffory nodded and went back to his food. He was very exited now. It seemed like his luck was finally changing!

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The next day Emma and Maya walked Jeffory to the gate. "Now remember there are a lot of monsters along the way, so be incredibly careful. They're weak though, but don't let your gaurd down." Emma reached in her pocket and pulled out a small grey dagger with dark blue outlines. "If you get in trouble use this. Ok?" "Yes." Jeffory replied taking the dagger.

Jeffory stepped back and swung the dagger around, getting used to it. Maya spoke up. "Take care of yourself, understand?" Jeffory grinned, "Of course. Thanks for everything you two." Emma handed him a bag of Neopoints. "Use this if you need to." Emma then embraced him. He returned the hug. "Be a good boy." she said pulling back. Maya hugged him as well. "Well, goodbye." Jeffory said walking out the gate. "Be sure to visit! We'll be here!" Maya shouted to his retreating form. "Sure thing!" Jeffory replied. Then he continued down the road.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory had fought a couple of Sand Snakes along the way. They were easy to beat though. Jeffory has a knack for battle. He surprised himself!

Finally, after cutting apart some more suckers, he reached his destination. DA. It was the most amazing place he had ever seen in his life! It was HUGE! It was very wide and...majestic looking. But that's not what really surprised him. What REALLY surprised him was that it had at least five hundred floors! Why was it so tall though? He brought himself back to reality. He didn't have time for questions! He had to sign up! He ran into the academy. His destiny was unfolding before his eyes.

**Alrighty then! SUCCSESS...AGAIN! R&R please. Anyway, Emma and Maya are not major characters. I just needed someone to take care of Jeff. Although, I may give them a supporting character role. And last but not least, Jeffory's profile is on my author's bio so, if anyone wants a description of him. And Kass too. OK! I'm done. LaDude out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's notes.**

**I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! Ahem. Anyway, next chapter...WOW awkward.**

**Defenders of Neopia. Chapter 4 Registration, and new friends.**

Jeffory walked through the doors of the Academy. He looked at his watch. It was 12:54PM. _Hmmm... took me around three hours to get here. Not bad! _He looked around. There was just about nobody inside, save for a teenage female Nimmo at a registration counter. On the front of the desk in bold letters were the words "ACADEMY REGISTRATION". She was wearing a tie-dye shirt, with a black miniskirt. She was hot pink with dark blue eyes._ Aha! There we go..._thought Jeffory.

He walked over and tried to get her attention. Which was easier said, than done. She was wearing headphones and was texting somebody while chewing gum. "Excuse me...Excuse me!" Jeffory said, waving his hand in front of her. She didn't take notice. "HELLO!" He shouted at her. Nothing. _God. Why do they have HER as an receptionist? _thought Jeffory.

He reached over and tapped her on the shoulder. She slapped his hand away. "GOD! Like, what?" she shouted in a valley girl accent. Jeffory resisted the urge to scream, and spoke through clenched teeth. "I would like to register...miss..." - he looked at her nametag - "...Donna." he stated. "Register for like, what?" said the Nimmo, chewing like a Kau. Jeffory rolled his eyes. Was she really that slow? Her desk only says "academy registration". "For the academy! To become a student!" he was losing his patience.

"Like, we're not accepting new registrations, until like, tomorrow." Jeffory's jaw dropped. Was she serious? He couldn't believe it! He wanted to register now! If only he had a way to bribe her...WAIT! _I have that bag of Neopoints! I wonder..._

Jeffory reached into his pocket, and pulled out the cash. "Here, take it." he grumbled. The girl smiled greedily. Not even wondering why this kid was handing her money, she reached out to take it. "Bup!" said Jeffory pulling the bag out of her reach. "Let me sign up and you can have it," he told her firmly. She groaned and reached down under her desk. She pulled out a piece of paper.

_Yes! My sheet! _Jeffory thought excitedly. "Like, sign here. Here. Here. And, like, here." Jeffory's eye twitched. If she said "like" ONE more time..."May I have a pen?" he asked. She sighed loudly. She reached under her desk again, and pulled out a pen. She threw it at him. Jeffory caught it, and gave her a death glare. He began to sign the paper. Halfway through, the obnoxious girl interupted him. "You have to, like," - Jeffory winced - "sign on the back, too." Jeffory nodded stiffly.

Once he was done he, he handed it to her. "Now you can, like, do whatever you want." she picked up her phone and went back to ignoring him.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After getting the obnoxious girl's attention back, Jeffory learned that the academy was his new home. He would be allowed to wander the empty halls. The new students wouldn't be here until tomorrow. Now he was really bored. _Now what do I do? _thought Jeffory. He decided he would get to his room. His room was on the tenth floor. So, he found the elavator and went up.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

"Woooooah!" exclaimed Jeffory upon walking into the boy's dorm. It was huge! And really cool, too! There were three beanbag chairs on the floor. All were black. There were three beds. He looked around the room some more. There was also a huge window. AND a balcony.

There was also a plasma screen T.V. "They sure do spoil us, don't they?" Jeffory muttered, admiring the television. Jeffory saw something out of the corner of his eye. There was some sort of device mounted on the wall. Jeffory walked over to it. He looked at the small screen, with curiosity. It read "Volcano." Jeffory hmmmed and touched the screen.

Suddenly, the floor turned to rocky ground with cracks on it showing off lava. "WHAT!" shouted Jeffory, jumping. Then he looked at the wall. Now he could see a large erupting volcano in the distance. He gasped._ I'm not coughing, I can breathe... and it's not hot...I get it! This is like that virtual meadow in Em's bed and breakfast!_ Then he got an idea. He walked back over to the Room changer, and scrolled down. "Sky. Cave. Sea. Space! Oooh..." Jeffory touched it.

The room changed from the volcano, to outer space! "Now THAT's cool!" said Jeffory in amazement. After looking around some more, Jeffory decided to check out his new home. _Home,_ he thought. _"_I haven't had a home in ten years...Well, not a REAL home...GREAT, I'm talking to myself," he muttered bitterly. "Well, better get moving. Dang! I have to stop that!"

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory looked around the academy, for about two hours when he headed back to his dorm. Once inside, he messed with more stuff, but he eventually grew tired. He then realized why. He had messed with everything in the room, for at least three or four hours. There was just so much in this room! It was 9PM now... Jeffory decided he should head to bed early. He would probably get roommates tommorow, and he wanted to have energy. He climbed into his bed, and quickly fell asleep.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The next morning, Jeffory woke up to shouting outside. He stumbled out of bed and groggily made his way to the window. He stepped onto the balcony and looked down. There were many hover cars lined up all the way to Brightvale! He then saw what had woken him up. There was a Green Morthog sticking his head out of the car window. He was screaming at a JubJub who was also looking his own car window. "THAT'S MY SPOT! MY SON WAS THE FIRST TO GET HERE!" he bellowed. "NOOOO! I WAS HERE FIRST, YOU LIAR!" the White JubJub wailed back. "I guess some really want to become Defenders." Then he thought about it. After seeing the horrible things that had happened to cities, he would hate to see what could happen to the rest of Neopia. He wanted to protect Neopia, too.

It seemed a couple of future students had gotten in already. He was curious to see who his roommates would be, so he decided he would go down. Then he absent-mindedly smelled his arm. He shuddered. "After showering."

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory dried off, got dressed in a blue tee shirt and jean shorts and walked out of the room. On the way to the elavator, he tripped over something. "Ouch!" _What in the..._ he stopped when he saw the culprit. It was a little fire Noil. It let out a tiny growl. "Hey, little guy." said Jeffory, reaching out to pet it. By the looks of it, the Noil was still a cub, not an adult. He chuckled when it purred at his touch.

He pet it for awhile before remembering why he was out of the room in the first place. He got up and walked to the elavator. The Noil followed him.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

As soon as Jeffory walked into the Lobby, he was surprised to see that it was flooded with Neopians.

"Pretty crowded, huh?" said a voice behind him. Jeffory jumped and whirled around, to see a blue Mynci with bright green eyes. Jeffory noted that he had a messy tuft of hair on the top of his head. wearing a layered red and blue shirt and dark blue jeans. He was also rolling a black suitcase behind him.

He was smiling like he was amused that Jeffory was spooked. "Uh...where did you come from?" asked Jeffory. The Mynci grinned. "Well, when two Neopians love each other very much..." he started. Jeffory quickly cut him off. "I didn't mean it like THAT!" Jeffory thought that this Mynci reminded him of Sam... "OHHHH. You meant...I get it! I'm a new student here!" the Mynci informed Jeffory. Jeffory resised the urge to facepalm. "I'm Jeffory. Jeffory Knights," the Kyrii introduced himself, extending a hand to the Mynci. "Name's Jack Mason," said Jack, shaking Jeffory's hand.

"Hold on..." said Jack, looking at Jeffory funny. "What?" asked Jeffory, confused. "How did you get here? My dad dropped me off first." Jack quizzed. "Well..."

Jeffory explained to Jack how he got in first. "So you're a student too?" Jack asked. "Yep," replied Jeffory. "So, um where do the new guys go?" asked Jack. "Oh. You can stay in my dorm." "Cool," said Jack. The two students began walking to the Jeffory's er, Jeffory and Jack's dorm, talking and laughing. They hit it off quickly. The Noil still followed them.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jack had the same reaction Jeffory did, when he walked into the room. "SOOO COOOL!" cried Jack, his jaw dropping. Jeffory sniggered. Jack didn't seem to notice. He was too busy drooling over the plasma screen.

"Wouldn't it be so cool if..." Jack trailed off. he dropped his suitcase, and began searching through it. "AHA! Thank you MOM!" Jack shouted, pulling out a black console. "YOU have the N60 storm!" Jeffory said exitedly. He wanted one so bad, but Anna couldn't afford one. And he didn't begrudge her at all! But still...

"It'll be a couple of hours before everyone gets checked in, so we could play this!" said Jack, sounding very pleased. "Alright!" Jeffory said happily.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory and Jack played Storm Rider for a couple of hours, until a knock was on their door. King, who was laying on Jeffory's lap, let out a growl. Jeffory and Jack had begun calling the Noil King, because he acted like he ran the place! "COME IN!" shouted Jack, his eyes glued to the T.V. The automatic door opened, and a Red Kougra with black eyes stepped in. He was wearing jeans and and a black tee shirt designed for four-legged creatures. The handle to his suitcase was around his neck. _How is that not choking him? _ Jeffory wondered. "Hey," the Kougra greeted. Jeffory paused the game, much to Jack's dismay. "I was winning..." he whined.

Jeffory walked over to the Kougra. "This is dorm 57, right?" asked the Kougra. "Yep. I'm Jeffory Knights. You?" Jeffory introduced himself. "Hunter Tagari. Nice to meet you," Hunter said with a grin. _Tagari... why do I recognise that name? _thought Jeffory.

"I'm Jack!" Jack announced loudly, succsessfully breaking Jeffory's train of thought. Jeffory rolled his eyes. Hunter nodded to Jack. Hunter gasped, when he saw the Room Changer. He ran over to it. "This is so cool! This is made out of..." he began using big odd words that Jack and Jeffory didn't understand. "Nerd..." whispered Jack in Jeffory's ear. "Uh-huh." Jeffory replied. True, this Hunter did seem like a nerd. But there was something likeable about him.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The three played the N60 storm, for awhile before getting ready for bed. "Classes start tommorow." informed Hunter. Jack groaned. "I HATE school!" he wailed. Jeffory and Hunter chuckled. They were all laying in their beds.

"OOOH! I found a switch! I'm gonna push it!" _This can't end well... _thought Jeffory. Jack reached over the side of his own bed, and flipped the switch. Then he let out a high shriek when the mattress closed with him in it. His arm hung out the side pitifully.

"Owww. I found out what it does..." Jack's voice sounded muffled. Hunter rolled his eyes. "That's what happens when you flip a random switch," he said to the irritated Mynci. Jeffory shook his head. "C'mon..." he told Hunter, as they went to assist Jack.

**And there you have it! Jeff's finally at the Academy. And Jack and Hunter are in too! R&R please! LaDude out.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note**

**HEEELLLLOOOO! I'm back! Didya miss me? Anyway, this is the fifth chapter. LET IT BEGIN!**

**Defenders of Neopia Chapter 5: School and teams.**

Jeffory awoke to the screaming voice of an alarm clock. It sounded EXACTLY like a drill seargent: "WAKE UP! YOU HEAR ME, BOY! YOU LAZY LITTLE PILE OF MEEPIT DUNG!" Jeffory groaned. "Shut up..." The clock would not stop. "YOU LITTLE...! MY GRANDMA COULD MOVE FASTER THAN TH..." The drill seargent clock was silenced by a pillow hitting it, knocking it to the hard floor. The clock tried to continue yelling, but it just sounded like a grumbling troll.

Jeffory looked to his left, and saw who silenced the clock. Hunter had thrown the pillow. "Thanks, Hunter," said Jeffory, thankfully. "No prob..." muttered Hunter. All was silent for a couple minutes until Jack awoke. His eyes went to the busted alarm. He let out a shriek similar to the one he did the night before.

"You killed Sarge! My precious...!" Jack began to wail. Jeffory had to shout over the wails. "WHAT TIME IS IT?" he asked Hunter. "7:30!" Hunter screamed back. Jeffory climbed out of bed, and headed to the bathroom, to take a shower. This was his first day; he had to make a good impression. He stopped in his tracks. Sam said that on thier first day of school... Jeffory began worrying about Sam, for the first time in awhile. _Please be ok. _"Jeffory?" Hunter's voice broke his train of thought. "Are you alright?" Hunter asked. He sounded concerned. "I-I'm fine... Fine." Jeffory replied, talking more to himself than Hunter while walking into the bathroom.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After the guys all had their showers, they decided to meet at the elavator to go down for breakfast. Jeffory and Hunter had been waiting for Jack for about an hour. Then they saw him running towards them. "Hey, sorry I'm late! The shower backed up on me! So I had to fix it, and then take another shower!" explained Jack, hurriedly. Jeffory shook his head and asked, "Did you actually fix it?" Jack chuckled nervously. "Yeah, it's fixed... unless you use it." Jack mumbled the last part. Hunter groaned. "We'll find maintenance later! I'm hungry!" Hunter declared, walking into the elavator. Jeffory went in next, followed by Jack.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Once they got to the cafeteria, Jack ran for the food. By the time Jeffory and Hunter got over, Jack was already walking to a table, his plate piled high with waffles, french toast, and pancakes. Jeffory stared. The food was definitely different than Meridell's school food. Jeffory began to pick some food: some waffles, a biscuit, some bacon, and then an apple. At the orphanage, the kids always got at least one fruit at breakfast. Even though Jeffory wasn't at the orphanage, this little thing just stuck in his head.

His thoughts went to Anna. How would he tell her about her son? He grew nervous about getting a mission to Meridell. He couldn't just waltz in and say "Hi Anna. The field trip went wrong, and now your son is prisoner and at the mercy of a psychopath! So, what's for dinner?" Things didn't work that way.

He made his way over to his friends and sat down. "Hey, guys." Jeffory said casually. "Heya." "Hi." His friends responded. As they were eating, Jeffory noticed something on Hunter's right leg. A bangle of sorts. It was silver and had a paw mark in the center. "What's that on your paw, Hunter?" Jeffory asked curiously. Hunter took another bite of his food, and turned his attention to his bangle. "Oh, this? It's the Tagari mark." Jeffory was taking a bite at the time he said it, and began to choke. Jack, who was sitting next to him reached over and pounded his back.

Once he regained his composure, he spoke. "I knew it!" he shouted, attracting the attention of students all around them. "Huh?" asked Jack. Jeffory and Hunter stared at him. "The Tagari family is the longest generation of families in all of Neopia!" Jeffory explained. Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, great. History!" Jeffory ignored him. "You never said you were part of THE Tagaris!" Jeffory half-shouted. Hunter shrugged. "Guess it slipped my mind." He continued eating. "How could something like that slip your mind! Your family's famous! What is someone like you training to be a Defender for?"

Hunter sighed. "My parents think I need to learn to defend myself, and others." he explained in a monotone. "Don't people as famous as you have...I don't know, 'professional trainers' or something?" asked Jack with his mouth full spraying Hunter's face with pancakes.

Hunter shrugged yet again. "My parents never told me why they sent me HERE," Hunter told them, continuing his breakfast. Jeffory blinked. _Huh... _Hunter didn't seem to like being rich and famous. _Maybe fame and fortune isn't all it's cracked up to be..._

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After breakfast, the guys started off to the other side of the acadamy for science class. On the way, Jack asked Jeffory the one question he didn't want to answer: "Why did you join the acadamy?" Jeffory just stared. Then he began to stutter. Man! He was doing that alot lately! "W-we-well, I thought... i-it might be c-c-cool," he lied. Jack just shrugged. "Okay."

They continued walking. Once they arrived at the door, Jeffory read the sign. "Mr. Demente?" asked Jeffory as he sat at his desk. Jack was in front of him while Hunter was behind him. Jack turned around, grinning. "Yeah. He's supposed to be a nutjob," he answered. "How did you find THAT out? You've been here for a shorter time than ME!" Jeffory asked incredulously. Jack shrugged. "I asked one of the older students," he replied.

Hunter snorted. "YOU asking about TEACHERS!" he asked, shocked. "Yeah, I like to know about teachers. Y'know. Their likes, their dislikes. So I can kiss up better." Jeffory sniggered, faintly noticing other students coming in and sitting down. Hunter snorted, again. "Hey!" Jack said, turning to face the Kougra. "Kissing up kept me outta Juvi," the Myncy announced, proudly. "You almost went to Juvi?" asked Jeffory. "Yeah. It was a minor incident involving an exploding remote controlled helicopter, and a pudding covered mayor," he muttered.

"Pudding covered mayor?" Hunter echoed. "Don't ask," Jack said firmly. Jeffory wondered why the teacher wasn't here yet.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After another ten minutes, the door slammed open, revealing a wild-eyed Blue Techo. He was wearing a normal teacher uniform, although the shirt wasn't tucked in, the jacket was hanging off the left shoulder, his tie was a wrinkled mess, and he was missing a shoe; the pants were the only thing that looked right. Mr. Demente's red left eye twitched. "HI, KIIIIIDS!" he screamed maniacally. All the females in the room screamed, the junior males jumped, while the older guys sniggered at the reactions. Jeffory arched a brow.

Mr. Demente slammed the door behind him. He wandered to his desk, left eye twitching with each step. He slammed his hands down on the desk, and announced loudly "Today we're mixing RESURRECTION POTIONS wiiiiiiiith DEATH potions! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" he cackled loudly. Next to Jeffory, Jack began rubbing his hands together, clearly excited. Behind Jeffory, Hunter was allready muttering what the result of the mix would be to himself. He was too quiet for Jeffory to make out what he was saying, though.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Students were randomly paired as science partners. Jeffory was with Jack, Hunter was with a not-so-bright looking jock, etc. Jeffory and Jack got on their safety gloves and goggles and got to work. Behind him, Jeffory heard Hunter scolding his partner for dropping the Resurrection potion. "Jeffory!" asked Jack urgently. Jeffory turned to him. "What?" he asked. Jack looked at the Death and Resurrection potions. "Which one do we pour in first...?" Jeffory began to feel nervous. He didn't know... "Allright! Let's wing it! You pick up that one," Jack said happily, picking up the Death potion. "And I'll take this one." He picked up the Resurrection. Jeffory knew what he was up to. "We'll pour em in at the same time, right?" asked Jeffory. Jack nodded.

"1...2...3!" On Jack's count, they poured the potions as one. The potion began to fizz, then bubble, and then...

_BOOM!_

As a result of Jeffory and Jack not pouring the potions in correctly, it exploded. Jeffory turned his face. But it didn't protect him from getting hit by the liquid, though. His cheek felt tingly and he felt a draft.

"Oook. don't panic...! Mr..."

"Knights." Jeffory responded when Demente stalled. "RIIIGHT! Take Blue Boy with you to the Nurse's office, out the door, left at the very end of the hall." Mr. Demente instructed, eye twitching.

Jeffory nodded, although he was nervous to what happened to him and Jack. "Blue Boy?" Jack asked no one in particular.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Once Jeffory and Jack had gotton to the Nurse, she introduced herself as Nurse Amanda. She was a pink Kiko with a Nurse hat wearing a White jacket and her nails were polished black.

Long story short: the result of the potions was an Undead potion, which turned the spot it hit on Jeffory's cheek undead. Meanwhile, Jack's face was a Zombie's. And boy did he scream when he saw himself in the mirror. Nurse Amanda had them stay in the infirmary for awhile after they were forced to pour Resurrection potion on the Zombiefied parts of their bodies.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

"Ahhh! I have my handsome face back!" Jack cried cheerfully. Jeffory arched a brow. "Since when do you care about looks?" Jack rolled his eyes. "Jeffory, Jeffory, Jeffory. If all this," Jack pointed at himself from head to toe, "doesn't look good, it'll make an impact on the Lady Factor! A BAD impact," the Mynci explained. Jeffory just shook his head.

The two friends had just left the Nurse's office, glad to be cured of Zombie. Jeffory turned his head to see Hunter running up to them. "Guys! There you are!" Hunter shouted excitedly, skidding to a halt.

"'Sup?" asked Jack tilting his head to the side. "Hunter, why are you so exited?" asked Jeffory. "Because!" Hunter stated. "Because...?" asked Jack. "Because!" Hunter screamed again. "Well, what's this because?" Jeffory quizzed. "We're getting assigned team members! Today! In ten minutes!"

Jack groaned. "Let me guess. The place we're getting assigned at is at the other end of the building?" Hunter gaped at the Mynci. "How'd you know?" he asked. "Lucky guess..." he answered. The three friends looked at each other, then took off running down the left hall.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The trio made it to the Meeting Room with two minutes to spare. Jack was wheezing like he just ran a marathon. "You don't run much, do you?" asked Jeffory. Jack was leaning against the wall. "That's not true! I ran like heck after I pudding-bombed the mayor!" Jeffory decided not to ask anymore about the "Pudding Incident".

Jeffory looked around the crowded room; all students were there. "Let's get our seats," he muttered. Jack and Hunter followed him.

As they sat down, Jeffory started thinking about his captive friend. He remembered Sam trying to help him, and Kass swinging his hand and easily knocking Sam unconcious. _This is all my fault! I'm a screw-up! A failure as a friend! I'll probably screw up again and get my teammates hurt! ...Or killed..._ "Earth to Jeffory?" Jeffory turned to look at the voice. It was Hunter. "What?" he asked. "You kinda zoned out there," Hunter answered. Jeffory looked down. "Sorry... I've got a lot on my mind." "Like what?" Hunter questioned. "Like...uh...teams!" "I didn't know thinking about teams could make you look depressed," Jack said, grinning. Jeffory chuckled.

A Draik walked into the room. The chattering students quieted. "Good evening, my future Defenders! I am Commander Grey." He was an orange Draik with red irises. He was wearing a black jumpsuit covered by silver armor, and he had a large blue and grey sword on the his back. He looked about in his mid-fifties. Jeffory also noticed that in the center of Grey's chest plate was a symbol it was a large N with a shield in front of it. _That must be about defending Neopia_, Jeffory thought.

Wait... his armour was similar to Kass'; the symbol was the opposite of the Defenders. Did that mean Kass was part of some sort of anti-Defenders group? If Jeffory did punish Kass, would another crazed lunatic take his place, claim a city and then destroy it as a message to all not to challenge him or her...?

Jeffory's train of thought was broken by the sound of Grey's voice. "I will be assigning you all to your teams. Let's begin, shall we? Team one: Knights. Tagari. Merk. Mayer." Jeffory felt a bit disappointed that Jack wasn't on his team. One student, a nerdy-looking Techo, raised his hand. "Yes?" asked Grey. "Um, Merk was attacked last night by a Babaa." All the students snickered at that statement. _A killer Babaa? Really? _thought Jeffory. "Well, where is Merk?" Commander Grey asked. "We don't know, sir," the nerd said. "Alright. Due to not knowing the whereabouts of Mr. Merk, Mason will be on the team with Knights, Tagari, and Mayer. Now then, Keenok..."

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Assigning teams took about an hour or two. Jeffory was glad Jack would be on his team, but he felt bad for that poor Merk kid... Jeffory and his new teammates were relaxing in the in the Student lounge, waiting for to meet up with this Mayer guy. Jack was hanging upside down off of the couch; Hunter was lying on his back in a beanbag chair, holding a book in his tail and reading it; and Jeffory was in an overstuffed chair with his hands behind his head, still thinking about his anti-Defenders theory. "When is this Mayer guy gonna show up? I'm bored and hungry..." Jack whined. Hunter sighed. "Why don't you give your mouth and our ears a break? Besides, how do you know Mayer's a guy?" Jack arched a brow. "Are you trying to imply that Mayer's a chick?" he asked.

"No. I'm implying Mayer's Santa Clause. WHAT do you think I'm implying!" he snapped. Jack glared at him. "Excuse me," said a feminine voice. Jeffory opened his eyes to see a pretty Flotsam. She was a green Flotsam with rust-colored eyes; she had a little bit of lavander eye shadow on. She had wavy black hair.(1) She was wearing a black skirt with a white shirt, and an odd silver belt with a blue orb in the middle. Jeffory then noticed something. She was levitating slightly above the ground. Jeffory tried to ignore this.

"Yeah?" he asked. _Hey! I'm not stuttering! Jack's little lessons last night must have worked! _Jeffory thought happily. "Are you Jeffory Knights?" "Yeah, why?" "I'm on your team." Jack accidentally rolled off the couch, landing next to Hunter. "Told ya," Hunter said to Jack smugly. Jack snatched the book out of Hunter's tail, and hit him across the back of the head with it. (2) Jack jumped to his feet. "I'm Jack!" he said extending his hand for her to shake. The girl smiled. "I'm Kendra Mayer." she shook his hand. "Hunter." Kendra nodded at the Kougra. "Hi. Well, listen, it was nice meeting you, but I have mind training. Oh, I'm in Dorm 92." Jeffory noticed her eyes hadn't left Jack since the beginning of the conversation. She smiled at her teammates before floating off towards her class. "Mind training?" asked Jack.

"Uh-huh. It's a training exercise to help you keep your calm in battle," Hunter explained to Jack, who was staring after Kendra. "Y'know, she was floating..." informed Jeffory. "Who cares?" muttered Jack softly. Jeffory and Hunter looked at each other and sniggered. "What?" "Nothing." Hunter and Jeffory said quickly. Something made Jeffory wonder, though. Why was Kendra floating? But then again, a lot of things made him wonder. Like, why did he not burn up while shooting through space? Why had Kass glowed in the battle? Why had Hunter not strangled Jack yet? Why was there a "pudding covered mayor incident?" Jeffory would find out sooner or later.

Jeffory decided to go back to teasing Jack. Little did he know, soon things would get even weirder.

**Author's note.**

**Sheesh, that took awhile. Anyway, Kendra, like Jack and Hunter, is a major character. Why is she floating, you ask? You'll just have to wait and see. **

**(1) I'm aware Flotsams don't have hair. But in Darkest Fairy which I last played four or five years ago...all female Neopets had it so...Yeah.**

**(2) A tribute to Professor Snape. Rest in piece, ya Slimy Git. R&R please. LaDude out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note.**

**I'm back. In case you're wondering why I'm not screaming like a maniac, I have decided to take a different look at life. The simple pleasures, the peace, the quiet, the- COFFEE! GIVE IT GIVE IT GIVE IT! NOW NOW NOW!**

**Defenders of Neopia: chapter 6 Weapons, hard feelings, and secrets revealed.**

Jeffory was mad. His head hurt. Thhanks to a certain Kougra and Myncy.

Flashback.

_"I don't _like her_ like her. Just like her..." Jack attempted to lie. Jeffory laughed. "Yeah right! You were practicaly drooling!" he teased Jack. Hunter started making kissy faces. "Jack and Kendra sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes CRAP!" Hunter jumped out of the way as Jack grabbed some random kid's hard back book, and threw it at the Kougra. It missed Hunter, but... Jeffory looked up and saw the book flying at his face._

End flashback.

This was why Jeffory was lying on his bed, in his dorm. Jack had chased Hunter off, after his book assualt failed. Leaving Jeffory behind. _I swear, I'm gonna strangle that idiot. After my head stops hurting... _"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Knights?" said a robotic voice. "Not unless you can make a headache go away in an instant... Wait. Where are you?" Jeffory asked. "Right here," the voice spoke again. "Where?" questioned Jeffory, getting off his bed, and looking around the room.

"Behind you," said the voice yet again. Jeffory turned around, so he was looking at his bed. A slim robotic arm was extended from the side of the bed. On the end of the arm, was a moniter. It was blank. Jeffory approached it cautiously. Suddenly, the moniter flashed on. Two blue eyes appeared on the screen. They looked like an old cartoon's. "Hello!" the voice came from the moniter. "AAAHHH!" Jeffory shouted, jumping back. "W... Wh... Who are you?" he asked, panicking. "Oh, where are my manners? I am VIM: Visual information Moniter. Maintenance installed me when they repaired the shower," VIM explained to the surprised Kyrii. VIM extended an arm from the side of the moniter for Jeffory to shake.

"Great... Nice to meet you, VIM." said Jeffory, shaking VIM's hand awkwardly. "Now then, I was supposed to tell you... OH, yes! You must go to the training center. You are forming your weapons today," VIM told him. Jeffory cursed. "Da#! I've gotta go! It was nice meeting ya!" said Jeffory hastily. He got up, brushed off his clothes, and ran out the door.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory ran into the training room. He checked his watch a minute to spare... dang, he had been cutting it close. The room was packed. He saw his friends sitting over in the corner. Jack was arguing with Hunter about something stupid. Kendra was just watching them, with an amused expression. Jeffory walked over to them. He sat down and managed to hear what Jack's stupid argument was about. "I'm just curious! Why do they call it a hoagie! It's the same as a sub!" Jack said crossing his arms. "Actually, Hoagies and Subs are different. Subs are longer and thinner. And Hoagies are smaller and fatter." Hunter explained. Jack glared at him. "Know-it-all!" he insulted. "Know-nothing-at-all." Hunter shot back.

Jeffory sighed. This was pointless. The lights in the room faded. There were murmurs all around the room. An Aisha stepped into the room. She was a disco-colored one. She was wearing purple-lens sunglasses. She had long hippie hair; she was wearing casual hippie clothing. "Hello, my babies. I call you babies, because you are not yet in tune with your spiritual side, like I." Jeffory arched a brow. "Now, then... Reach into your hearts, and your emotions, your feelings, your deepest desires will take form," the odd Aisha instructed.

"YOU MEAN OUR WEAPONS!" a random student asked/screamed. "Do not refer to them as... W... WE... WEAPONS!" the hippie roared, shaking with rage. Jeffory, without realising stepped back. "Now, dears, proceed." Hippie had returned to normal.

Jeffory attempted to do as she said, but it didn't seem to work. He closed his eyes, trying to "reach into his heart." _Deepest desires... _Jeffory thought. Then, it hit him. Sam. One of his deepest desires was to save Sam! And he wanted to keep his new team safe. And he wanted to defeat Kass... Emotions... Well, Jeffory felt nervous, exited, and for some reason, hyper.

Jeffory heard grunts from around the room. People trying to force their weapons to take form. He ignored this. He had to focus. Jeffory absentmindedly reached forward with his right arm. His memories, both good and bad, felt like they were flowing out of him.

His parent's doom, Kass, leaving Sam behind... Then, meeting Maya and Emma, Jack Hunter, Kendra, laughing with his new friends, even watching Jack and Hunter duking it out.

Then, Jeffory felt something in his hand. He slowly opened his eyes. In his hand was a beautiful sword. Its handle was elegant, and completely black. On the sides of the handle were two handguards(1); on the bottom was some sort of insert... It looked like something small and round could fit on it. The outlines of the blade were black, but in the middle of the blade was a magnificent shade of gold. The tip of the sword was an arrow... for some reason, this sword reminded Jeffory of his life.

Good which was gold, and bad which would be black. The name Arrow of Life came to mind.

He looked over at his friends, who were admiring their weapons. Jack was holding a dark yellow blaster. It was small but looked deadly. On the side was a peace sign. There was an aiming scope on the top; at the tip of the blaster were six barrels to fire plasma blasts. Hunter was not holding a weapon. Instead, his claws and teeth were much longer and shinier. Kendra's hands/fins were glowing the end of the fins radiated beautiful colors. Red, gold, blue, etc. According to legend, only magic users' hands glowed. But Neopians had forgotten how to use magic ages ago! After Neopia turned to technology, Magic was known as a myth. Any Neopians who could use Magic were feared, treated like monsters. Jeffory would have to ask Kendra about this later.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

As Jeffory's team walked out of the class, Jeffory turned to Kendra. He was gonna go about this slow, calm, and quietly. "Kendra, about your weapon... And the floating... and uhhhh." Jeffory was not good at asking personal questions. "Alright, spill. Are you a magic user?" Leave it to Jack to come down hard. "Shh!" Kendra hissed. "C'mon." she led them towards Jeffory Jack and Hunter's dorm.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Once they walked into the Dorm, Kendra closed the door and locked it. "Alright, sit down." The boys did so. "Okay... If I'm gonna tell you this, you have to promise to keep a secret." the guys nodded. "Yes. I'm a Magic User." Jeffory, Jack, and Hunter just stared. "Why did you keep a secret?" asked Hunter. Kendra sighed. "You know what happens to Magic Users... they're hated, feared, persecuted, and sometimes... killed," Kendra explained, tears filling her eyes. Jeffory growled. What gave those morons the right to mistreat Neopians just because they are special...

"We won't tell a soul. I promise," said Jack, surprisingly serious. Jeffory and Hunter grunted in agreement. Kendra smiled brightly. "Thank you." Jeffory noticed that Jack was blushing a little. _Not crushing, huh?_ "Quick question, why are you floating?" asked Jeffory. "Well, I can use telekinesis... sort of. I'm practicing, by levitating. It also makes moving around alot easier." Jeffory understood; Flotsams had to drag themselves around. "What's Telephoneisis?" asked Jack stupidly. Jeffory rolled his eyes.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory was laying in his Dorm. Jack had run off to shoot stuff with his new toy, Hunter went with him to keep him out of trouble, and Kendra went to practice her magic in a secluded area. Why was Jeffory not training? After thinking about Arrow of Life's ties to his experiences, he began to think about his failures. He failed to save his parents. If he had only formulated a plan faster, they might be alive! _You screw up! _Jeffory thought bitterly. He failed to save Sam. _You do nothing but screw up!_ Jeffory resented himself...

He was so angry. He just had to hit something. "I hate you, Kass! I hate...!" he slammed his fist into the wall. It hurt like heck, but he did it again, and again. He slammed his fist into the wall, so hard, his knuckles started to bleed. Jeffory cursed, panting heavily. _What's wrong with me lately? Why am I always so TICKED! _Jeffory got to his feet, grabbed his sword, and went outside to attack some stupid pole.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Awhile later, Kendra had managed to heal Jeffory's knuckles with her cure element. It wiped her out, though. The guys carried her back to her dorm to rest. Jeffory's rage from earlier had turned into sorrow. He didn't like being angry, or sad. He headed to his Dorm early, hoping to sleep it off. Before he hit the sack, he turned the Room Changer to the beach at nighttime. He thought about what he would do the next day. Probably train. Maybe his team would get a mission! _Wishful thinking._ He chuckled, before switching off the light.

**Sorry, short chapter. But, I needed to fit in weapons development, and Kendra's abilities. So see you next chapter.**

**(1) I think that's what they're called.**

**R&R, please. LaDude out! *Runs to get COFFEE!* I'm uploading chap 7 RIGHT after this, as an apology for makinh you all wait so long. It's also a thanks for your patience.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note.**

**Dude: 'Sup, my peeps? That's right I'm back! AAAAAND! I'm very excited, cause first Mission! *Starts jumping around, cackling***

**Hunter: *Sigh* Sorry, guys. He had more coffee today...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything! *Weeps* Well, my PS3 is an exception.**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 7: Leadership and the big one.**

Jack slowly crept down the halls. He was hiding from Hunter. The two were playing a game of paintball. Well, they weren't supposed to do it inside, but it was blazing hot outside. "Got you," said a sing-song voice behind him. He whirled around to get a face full of paint. "OW! God, Hunter!" he shouted loudly, clutching his poor face. Hunter was hooting with laughter, rolling on the ground. Jack slowly lowered his hand, to reveal a large black eye. "I'm gonna kill you!" he roared, charging at Hunter and firing paintballs in random directions. Thank God there were no students there!

"You can't get me!" Hunter shouted over his shoulder, keeping a firm grip on the paintgun in his tail. The two ran into the Gym, disrupting a basketball training session.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory yawned, yet again. It was a Saturday, so no school. He was glad, but now he didn't know what to do with himself. "Where are Jack and Hunter, again?" he asked turning in his lounge chair to Kendra, who was brushing her hair. "I dunno, I think they were playing paintball."

"Paintball?" asked a student, a Starry Scorchio, with red eyes. "I thought we weren't allowed to play like that in the acadamy!" "You're not," Kendra informed the Scorchio. He gaped at her. "Those guys are hardcore!" Then he eyed Kendra. "Scott," he introduced himself, trying to look cool. "Kendra, not interested," she told him curtly. His face fell.

Suddenly, said Kougra, and Mynci came running into the room. Jack was clutching his right eye. But the one Jeffory could see, had pure terror in it. The two ran behind a couch and hid. Jeffory and Kendra walked over to them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's wrong?" asked Jeffory upon seeing their terrified faces. "Coach Kwii is g-go-GONNA KILL US!" Jack wailed. Hunter next to him, began nodding rapidly. Kendra sighed. "Did you two interrupt a training session again?" she asked.

The two didn't answer as they ducked. Jeffory turned around and saw a Shadow Yurble come storming in. He was wearing a sleeveless excercise shirt, flip flops, and shorts that were way too small. THIS was Coach Kwii. "KNIGHTS!" he roared, stomping over to him. Jeffory stood toe-to-toe with him. Kwii leaned down so close to Jeff's face that he could feel his breath.

"You see your little friends come in here?" he growled. Jeffory grinned, putting his hands behind his head. "Maaaybe," he said, drawing out the word just to tick him off. "Why should I tell you?" he asked smartly.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!" Kwii roared, spraying Jeffory with spit. "Alright," Jeffory muttered, wiping the spit of his face. "They went that way," Jeffory lied, pointing out the door. Kwii stormed off in that direction. Jeffory turned back to Jack and Hunter, who were breathing a sigh of relief. "Alright, spill."

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After the whackjobs were done explaining, Kendra went to get ice for Jack's eye, promising she would heal it when nobody was around. When she came back, she was holding the icepack; she handed it to Jack. "Oh, thanks!" he groaned, placing it on his eye. Kendra smiled at Jack, and she looked at Jeffory. "Jeff, Commander Gray wants to see you. He didn't say why," she told him quickly. Jeffory hoped Kwii hadn't found out that he had lied to him, and told Gray...

Crossing his fingers, and hoping for the best, he set off to see Gray. But not before saying, "Nice shiner, Jack." He ran off leaving Jack grumbling, as Kendra tended to him.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory stood in front of the Commander's office. He was nervous. The last time he had been called to an office was that time he and Sam dropped water balloons from the school cafeteria balcony. _Good times,_ Jeffory thought. "Now or never." Jeffory knocked on the door.

"Come in!" said Gray's voice from the other side of the door. Jeffory walked in. Gray greeted him, smiling. "Hello, Mr. Knights. May I call you Jeffory?" he asked politely. "Go ahead," Jeffory responded. Gray motioned to a seat across from his desk. Jeffory sat in it.

"Now I called you here for a reason. Ms. Mayer didn't tell you, did she?" Jeffory shook his head. "Good, I asked her not to. She knows," Gray explained. Jeffory tilted his head to the side, blinking. Gray chuckled. The confused Kyrii looked like a confused Doglefox.

"I called you here because I want you to go on a mission." Jeffory eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "R-r-really!" Jeffory caught himself, and cleared his throat. "Sorry," he said, feeling embarrassed. "No need for apologies," Gray told him. "Thank you, sir. But may I ask where to- uh, I mean the mission?" Jeffory spluttered. He felt very excited. "You will be going to Market Town. (1) I want you to investigate a local legend. Can you do that?" Jeffory nodded. "Excuse me, but how are we going to get to the northern continent, the road's flooded since-" Gray quickly cut Jeffory off, chuckling. "I know my history. 'The Great Flood of 3592.' You will be taking an airship from the hangar." Jeffory nodded yet again. "Tell your team, alright?" Gray ordered. "Yessir." Jeffory got up from his chair and walked out the door.

Gray sat in silence for a moment before saying to himself, "He's just like you."

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory told his team about the mission. Jack and Hunter were very excited. Kendra seemed nervous, though...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The guys were getting dressed in their dorm. Jeffory was wearing a blue t-shirt with a picture of a soccer ball on it; he was also wearing light blue jean shorts, grey sneakers with blue outlines, a black watch, and his sword was strapped on his back(2).

Jack was wearing his outfit from when he met Jeffory. (Read chapter 4.) Jack had recently realised that his blaster could shrink down to a tiny size, and fit in his pocket.

Hunter was wearing a black t-shirt with blue jean shorts. He was still wearing his Tagari bangle.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

When the three friends walked out into the lobby, they saw Kendra waiting for them. She was wearing a plain baby blue t-shirt with a black skirt. She had a gold bracelet on her left hand/fin. She was also wearing her belt, and was floating. "You guys ready to go?" Upon seeing them nod, she did the same. "Now, where do we find the hangar?" Jeffory asked crossing his arms over his chest. Jack shrugged and muttered, "I dunno." Hunter chuckled, "It's up the stairs, down the hall, up another set of stairs, down another hall-" Jack cut him off. "SHUT it, Hunter," he snapped. Hunter had lost him at "It's." Jeffory jumped in. "We could-" "-No, that would take forever." "Maybe we-" "NO!" Kendra sighed, watching her friends bicker about which way to go. "GUYS!" she shouted, over their now-raised voices. They stopped in an instant. "We could take the ELEVATOR," she told them, amused. "Whaaaaaaat?"

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After taking the elevator to the top floor, they were excited to see the hangar. Jeffory stared in amazement. It. Was. Huge. Workers were scrambling around, carrying pieces of incomplete Airships. As they were on the top floor - five hundreth, to be exact - they were above some of the clouds. There was heavy machinery on the walls, creating pieces of Airships. "Maybe we should ask that guy over there!" Jack said, pointing at a large Blue Grarrl. He was wearing an outfit exactly like Gray, except he didn't have the symbol. The Grarrl also had purple eyes and a strong, but friendly, face. He looked about in his mid-thirties to early forties. "Let's see..." Jeffory muttered, walking over to the worker.

"Keep moving, boys! And don't drop anything on Harrison's toe THIS time!" he shouted at his crew. He had a deep, booming voice. _He must be the boss of the Hangar, _Jeffory thought.

"Excuse me!" the Kyrii called, jogging over to the head honcho. He turned to see them coming, and grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. "Ahhh, WAIT, don't tell me! Knights, Mayer, Tagari, aaaaaaaaand MASON!" with each name, he pointed at the correct student. He made Jack jump when he shouted his name. "That would be us, Mr..." "Call me Jake!" he said, extending his hand for Jeffory to shake. Jeffory took it and was surprised when Jake shook it vigorously, making Jeffory's whole body lift off the ground multiple times. He did the same with the others.

"Commander Gray told me you'd be comin'! The airship's this way," he said, leading them over to a large Airship that was docked and ready to take off. "This is Nora,(3) the latest model!" he said proudly. Nora was spectacular: a large grey black and blue Ship with navy blue wings, with light blue outlines that seemed to pulse. There was also a large cannon on the front of the ship. Jack sniggered, "You NAME your SHIPS?" He broke down cackling. That was, until Jake rounded on him, getting right in his face. "You got a PROBLEM with THAT?" he snarled. Jack immeadiatly shut up. He shook his head, looking terified. "Good. Now then, head on in, an' I'll give ya the A-OK." The group nodded, though Jack's was shaky.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The team climbed into the ship (Jack fell over Hunter's tail). The group looked around the ship. If the outside was cool, the inside was spectacular. Metal floor, with the same blue pulsing outlines in the middle. The pulsing lines went up the side of the walls, as well, and met in a cross. There were seven seats: one for the pilot in the front of the craft; one adjacent to it, for the co-pilot; one on the west side, with a window in front of it; and one on the east side, for the navigator. The other three were in the back, for passengers. There was also a large moniter attached to the ceiling.

Jeffory then realized something: nobody knew how to fly an airship. "Uhhh, DOES anybody know how to fly an airship?" Everybody but Hunter shook thier heads. Hunter grinned, "Step aside, my good man," Hunter said in a bad British accent. He pushed past Jack, and sat down at what Jeffory thought was the pilot's seat. As there was a stick thing there, Jeffory thought it was a joystick. "Oh, brother..." Jack groaned. "Hey! You don't have opposable thumbs! You can't fly an airship!" Jack shouted erratically. "Au contraire, my loud friend. Observe," Hunter told him in a bad French accent. He reached over his shoulder with his tail, and gripped the yoke. The other three stared in stunned silence.

"Showoff..." Jack muttered bitterly, although he was impressed. The computer moniter flashed to life. Jake's face appeared on it; he was grinning. "Ah, I see Hunter's captain! You ready for take off?" Jake asked. Hunter shook his head. "Everybody, take a seat! And strap in. We don't want any accidents. YES, I'm looking at YOU, Jack." The crew sat down and strapped in, Jack muttering rude things under his breath. "Now we're ready!" Hunter said, turning back to the monitor. "Okey doke. Lift off in: 5..." Jack rubbed his hands together excitedly. "4..." Kendra took a deep breath. "3..." Jeffory prayed that Hunter wouldn't crash them into a wall. "2..." Hunter pulled the yoke backwards. In front of the ship, a large door opened. "1!" Hunter forced the yoke forward and the ship launched out the door, into the clear blue sky.

"WHOO-HOO! That was awesome! DO IT AGAIN!" Jack shouted, bouncing in his seat and laughing. Jeffory grinned at his childish friend. "Good job!" he told Hunter, who laughed. Kendra was clutching her hammering heart. Hunter put the ship on auto-pilot and climbed out of his chair. "Yeah, that was great!" he admitted. The others got out of their seats, as well. Hunter spoke up. "Jeff, I think our team should have a leader." Jeffory nodded, motioning for him to continue. "Well, we thought it should be you," Hunter finished. Jack walked past Jeffory and patted him on the shoulder. "I..." Jeffory didn't know what to say. He had never felt this trusted before. Sure, he was the leader of his and Sam's pranks, but this was obviously more important than a harmless prank. He stood in silence for a moment. The tension was so thick, you could've cut it with a knife.

Jeffory made his decision. "I'll do it," he told them confidently. His friends smiled widely, knowing they made the right choice.

"So, Jeff, who should be in what positon on the ship?" _Hmm. Well, Hunter's a good pilot, Kendra knows her way around, and Jack likes blowing things up. OK. _"Hunter, you're pilot. Kendra, you will be Navigator. And Jack, you are on weapons." Hunter grinned widely, Kendra nodded, still smiling and Jack rubbed his hands together, and laughed, somewhat evilly. "I guess that leaves me with... Co-pilot." The crew all went for their seats.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

A couple of hours later, it was growing dark. Jack was bored, Kendra was dozing on and off, Jeffory was also bored, and Hunter wished something would happen... Wish granted. There was a thud outside the ship. Kendra bolted upright. "WHAT was that!" she screamed. "Shh!" Jack shushed her. Jeffory knew this was his first test as a leader. "Hunter, get back on the pilot... Jack, get on weapons, and Kendra, keep quiet." He didn't mean to hurt her feelings when he said that. Fortunately, she understood.

Jeffory slowly walked over to the window and peeked out it. Nothing. Suddenly, a frightening face slammed against the window. It had a bat's face, but a bird's beak. It's torso was a bat's, but it's wings and legs were that of a bird. It also had red eyes. It stared at Jeffory for a second, before letting out an ear-splitting shriek. The group screamed and covered their ears. "HUNTER!" Jeffory shouted over the shriek. "WHAT!" "PUNCH IT!" Hunter forced the yoke forward. The ship rocketed forward. Jeffory fell over, and the Shrieker fell off the Nora. Jeffory uncovered his ears. He ran back to the window and gasped. The Shrieker was back, and it brought friends. A couple hundred, to be exact. "Guys! The shrieks attract MORE!" Hunter cursed, and sped up even more. But the stupid things were fast. Jeffory growled. Jack sniggered. "Play time..." He pushed a button, on his seat, and a hatch opened up. A turret the same color of the ship extended out of it. The window opened up, and the gun pointed out of it. There was also a scope.

Jack grinned and grabbed the handles, his thumbs on the triggers. He pressed them, and the turret turned out to be rapid fire, shooting down Shriekers. "TIME TO ROCK N' ROLL, DUDE!" he screamed. Hunter was tearing through the skies, trying to shake the hybrids, but to no avail. Kendra got an idea. "Jeffory, open the hatch on the side." Jeffory gaped at her. "ARE YOU NUTS!" Kendra glared at him. "Fine." He found the button, and the hatch on the east side opened up; the bar for people to hold on to - so as to not fall over - extended. She floated over to it and grabbed hold with one of her fins, sticking her head and free fin out the hatch. She raised her fin, and it began to glow. She started firing Fire bursts at the Shriekers behind them.

Jack groaned. He couldn't get the Shriekers behind them. Then he got an idea. "This always works in the movies..." he muttered. He took his hands off the turret and began feeling around the chair. _Bingo!_ The turret retracted and the chair lurched before extending upwards, taking Jack with it. A hatch opened on the roof, and the chair went through it, then stopped. Jack was now on the roof. His chair turned backwards, facing the hybrids. Then the front of the chair shifted into a turret (4).

"EAT THIS!" Jack shouted, over the roaring wind, and the Shriekers... shrieked. Jeffory grinned. THIS was the best team a guy could ask for. But he wished there was something he could do to help... Suddenly, the ship lurched again. And a siren began going off. A computer voice was sounding: "WARNING, WARNING,WARNING! DAMAGE TAKEN ON THE ENGINE! EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!" Jeffory cursed. The ship was going to self-destruct! "Everybody! Get back inside!" After a couple seconds, the crew was back inside. "We have to jump!" Jeffory ordered. "We'll go splat!" cried Jack. "NO, we won't! TRUST ME!" The team was at a loss for words. But they followed suit.

They jumped, screaming the whole way down. "THIS IS IT! IT'S ALL OVER! OVER, I TELL YA! I LOVE YOU, MOMMY!" Jack screeched. Jeffory ignored him. "KENDRA! LISTEN TO ME! I WANT YOU TO USE YOUR TELEKINESIS! SLOW OUR DECENT TO THE GROUND!" Kendra looked scared, and not just because she was falling. She had never done this before. But she inwardly promised that she would do it. She nodded at Jeffory. "ON MY COUNT! 1... 2... 3!" Kendra's eyes turned white, and her hands began to glow. With a scream of pain, they slowed down almost to a stop. They then landed with a thud. Kendra was panting heavily, Jack was still screaming, and Hunter was shaking. Jeffory looked up to see a cloud of black surrounding the Nora. And the ship exploded, killing all Shriekers. Jeffory let out a laugh. They did it! They really did it. He sat up and checked on his friends. Kendra had caught her breath, and Jack had shut up. Hunter was still shaking. Jack looked at Jeffory. "We made the right choice." Jeffory grinned.

Hunter shouted, "RUN!" Jeffory and the others didn't ask, but ran. They stopped after a minute, and turned around to see a piece of the Nora land where they had just been. They all breathed a sigh of relief, and plopped to the ground. Jeffory, Jack, and Hunter looked at Kendra. "Thanks Kendra, you saved our butts with your abilities," Jeffory said. She smiled, at them. "Let's rest here tonight. We'll head to Market Town in the morning." They nodded. Jeffory thought,_ I managed to do something right... I protected them. They DID make the right choice._ Jeffory felt better than he had in a long time.

**DONE! YAAAAAAAY! This was a long chapter, huh? Well, the next one will be up soon. **

**(1) Market Town is not a real place in Neopia, exept in Darkest Fairy. I thought I would put in, though.**

**(2) If any of you have played Crisis Core ffvii, you'll know what I mean. It just sticks to his shirt.**

**(3) It's odd when people do that. I love people like that, though.**

**(4) Think Tranformers movie.**

**Also, I've decided on voices for Jack, Kendra, and Hunter. Jack is James Arnold Taylor, Tidus ffx. Hunter is Shia LeBeouf, Stanley in Disney's Holes. Kendra is Terra Strong, Rikku ffx/ kingdom hearts 2. R&R, please. LaDude out.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's notes. **

**Dude: grumbles.**

**Jack: Please excuse him. He's angry 'cause he has had no coffee. **

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah. I OWN NOTHING! **

Defenders of Neopia: chapter 8 - their stories and Market Town.

Jeffory and Hunter went to get firewood while Kendra and Jack scouted the area.

Currently, Jeffory was carrying firewood in his hands; Hunter was carrying it in his tail. "How do you do that?" Jeffory asked. Hunter looked at him, confused. "Do what?" he asked. Jeffory dropped his firewood, and pointed at Hunter's tail. "That! The thing with the tail!" Hunter looked at his tail, before laughing. "I learned how to use it like this, so I could not be so handicapped," Hunter told the frustrated Kyrii.

Jeffory nodded; he would hate to be on four legs. After grabbing more wood Jeffory was, to be blunt, very bored that he hadn't gotten to use his sword. He realized, he had to stop thinking like that, as something bad always happened after. A femine scream came from their camp. Without a word, the two grabbed their firewood, and ran in the direction of the cry.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

As they approached the site, they ducked under a plazma blast, from Jack's blaster. The Myncii was standing back-to-back with Kendra, whose hands were glowing, again. "Where have you BEEN!" Jack shouted at them. He was looking at the trees surrounding them, like something was in them.

If it hadn't been for Hunter's catlike reflexes, he would be missing his cranium. He ducked under a slash from... something. Jeffory turned around to see Hunter dodging. He got a good look at it. It was humanoid, covered in hair, had long ears that reached it's feet, red eyes, and LONG claws, it also had a tail. "What the heck...!" Jeffory barely dodged another swipe. He grabbed a piece of firewood, and smacked the Assassin, across the face. With a CRUNCH, it fell to the ground, dead.

Hunter was tangling with three. His teeth were bared and his claws were extended. Without warning, he lept forward, and slashed at the creature in front. He missed, however as the Assassin jumped over him and landed behind. Hunter let out a cry as it nicked his shoulder. Suddenly, number two jumped at him, snarling. Hunter turned, wrapped his tail around its leg, and slammed it to the ground with a thud. It got back up, though, looking ticked.

Hunter was surprised, when it rose into the air, and was thrown into another. Kendra had used her telekinesis to save Hunter's tail. "Thanks!" he called to her. She nodded, and shot a blast of ice at one's thigh. The Assassin's thigh turned to ice, causing it to fall face first to the ground.

Jeffory was ducking and weaving around angry claws. He pulled out his Arrow of Life and swung at one. He managed to cut off its leg, causing it to shriek in pain before Jeffory stabbed it in the gut, killing it. The Kyrii jumped over another's claw, and in mid-air, kicked it in the jaw, its head jerked up so hard, its neck crunched. It fell to the ground, paralyzed, before its opponent put it out of its misery.

One made the stupid mistake of trying to bite him. Jeffory reared back his fist before slamming it into the ugly thing's face, knocking out a tooth AND knocking it dead. "Guys!" Jeffory called, stabbing at one. "Their heads are fragile! Go for the HEAD!"

"'Kay!" Jack replied, firing at one who lept at him. Unfortunately, the blast missed, and the Assassin got its claws into the Myncii's arm. "OW! I gotta use that!" he cried. The stupid thing would not let go, though. Jack then, ignoring the pain, used his free arm to grip the thing's left ear. He yanked, with all his might, and he yelled in surprise as the ear came out of the socket. The creature screamed, letting go of Jack's arm, to hold it's head. "Big mistake!" Jack shouted, shooting it dead.

The other monsters stopped their attack, turned tail, and ran. "YEAH! Don't mess with us!" Jeffory shouted after the frightened monsters.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After calming down, the group moved to a different area so they wouldn't get attacked again. Kendra just lit the fire with her magic before she sat back, panting heavily. She was still a little wiped from using so much magic in their battle. "Don't overdo it, Kendra," Jack told her, concerned and surprisingly quiet. Jeffory and Hunter looked at each other, grinning knowingly. But they agreed with him nonetheless. "T-thanks," Kendra muttered softly. Jeffory smiled at his team. "You did great, guys," he congratulated. Jack grinned, "So were you, man! If you hadn't figured out their weakness, we may still be fightin' 'em." The rest of the team nodded.

Hunter decided to ask a question. "So, why did you guys join? The academy, I mean?" Kendra decided to go first. "Well, I'm an only child, and my parents sort of smother me, y'know?" The team nodded. "So, I eventualy decided to show them I can take care of myself, and here I am. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but..." The guys nodded, understanding how she felt. "My family sent me here after the pudding-covered mayor incident," Jack muttered. It was obvious that he was a little hurt by that, so Hunter tried to change the subject to himself, taking the spotlight off his friend.

"My parents sent me, to help me learn to take care of myself," Hunter told them. "What about you, Jeff?" asked Kendra. Jeffory sighed inwardly, and lied. "I thought it would be cool..." The others nodded, though they looked a bit suspicious. They didn't pester him, which Jeffory appreciated. He felt guilty lying to his friends, but this was his problem and he would fix it.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

After awhile longer, the group got ready, and continued on to Market Town. They were going to go in the morning, but they decided they did NOT want to get attacked again. So, here they were.

As they were walking, Jeffory checked his watch. It was 9:45. Ahead, they saw Market Town. Jeffory was surprised that there was no gate, or anything to keep monsters out of the town.

"Don't worry. Market Town has an invisible force field that keeps monsters out." Hunter said seeing Jeffory's face. _How does he know that?_

They walked into the town. Unlike Brightvale, this city was not suspended above the ground. There were still skyscrapers, though. The town was noticeably smaller than said city, and the ground was not see-through, but was paved with tar; the sidewalks were moving. "Home sweet home!" said Hunter happily, before running off in the direction of a large Mansion in the center of the town. The other three watched him go with confused looks. Their faces all said the same thing. "Hunter's from Market Town?"

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory and co. decided that Hunter would want some time alone with his family, so they went to find a hotel. As they wandered Market Town, Kendra was stunned. "So, you're saying Hunter's a Tagari! A REAL Tagari!" Jack rolled his eyes. "YES! He's a Tagari," he groaned.

Kendra had been asking that same question over and over. And Jack was getting sick of it. Jeffory ignored the 'Lovebirds', as he and Hunter had taken to calling them - without their knowing, of course! "Ugh, this town is so flippin' BIG!" he growled. Jack and Kendra stopped bickering to look at Jeffory.

"Why don't we look for directions?" asked Kendra, in a frustrated voice. "Because, if we did that, we would be throwing away the guy code of 'Don't ask for directions!'" Jack snapped. Jeffory once again ignored them.

"Oh, look! There's a street light! I'll be back." Before they could respond, Jack sprinted off to the pole, and began climbing it using his monkey instincts. Once at the top, he called down to his friends, "I see a hotel a little to the... east-left-right-whatever!" Jack then jumped off the pole, and landed... in a heap. Jeffory helped him up, and said, "Not your best landing, but good job, man." Jack grinned and brushed himself off. "Yeah, well... I'm pretty good at climbing stuff." He then looked at Kendra. "Was I cool? A little?" he asked hopefully. Kendra smiled at him. "You were great." She then floated off towards the hotel.

Jack's grin grew even wider. "Not crushin', huh?" asked Jeffory sarcastically. Jack glared at him.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

They had checked in, and were sitting in their room. "Where the heck is Hunter? It's been over two hours, Jeffory!" Jeffory was also growing nervous. _Maybe something's wrong..._ "You guys stay here, I'll go find him." Jeffory told them, jumping to his feet and taking off.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory pounded on the door to Tagari Mansion. "HUNTER! OPEN UP! IT'S ME, JEFFORY!" he shouted, continuing to pound the poor door. Hunter opened it, looking depressed. "They left..." he muttered.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory dragged Hunter back to his hotel room, to press him for answers. "Wait, why did they just up an' go?" asked Jack. Kendra shook her head. "They wouldn't just 'up an' go', Jack! Obviously, there's a reason," she told him. Hunter cut them off. "It doesn't matter, okay? They're probably on vacation, or something." He seemed worried, but the team decided to leave him alone.

"Well, we came on this mission for a reason. Hunter, what do you know about a certain urban legend?" Hunter's eyes widened. "Well... there is one, about a thing." The listeners all got comfortable, with Jack crying, "Yay, story time!" and grabbing his pillow.

"Well, every thousand years, Market Town holds a festival called the Freedom Festival where the town celebrates the defeat of the Black Knight, and every thousand years, this dragon-monster thing attacks the town," Hunter explained. Jeffory nodded. _So, Grey wanted us to investigate the monster..._ "Hunter, where does this monster make it's home?" the Kyrii asked. "In the mountains to the east, across the bridge and out of Market Town."

Jeffory grinned. "Alright, guys. Rest up, 'cause tomorrow we leave bright and early!" Jeffory informed his team.

**TADA! End of chapter 8! So, what did ya think of the battle scene? Let me know in the reviews! LaDude out! *Dude flies away.***


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's notes. I'm back, with a big boss fight this chapter. ENJOY!**

**Defenders of Neopia, chapter 9 - Travels and legend Mt.**

"Jack, get up!" Hunter shouted yet again. "NO! I'm having my beauty sleep!" the Mynci snapped.

"C'mon Kendra was up before you! And you know how she whines about her beauty sleep!" Hunter tried again. But soon, he had no other choice. He found a button, similar to the one on Jack's bed at the academy, and pushed it.

Jack was then sandwiched between his mattress. "OKAY, I'M UP, I'M UP!" the victim screamed.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory and Kendra were waiting outside the hotel, hoping Hunter was succsessful with Jack. "Hey, Kendra?" Jeffory decided to strike up a conversation. "Hmm?" asked Kendra. "What do you think of Jack? I mean like...well..." Kendra knew what he was getting at, and began to blush furiously. "W-w-well..." She was saved from further embarrassment by the timely arrival of Hunter and Jack; the latter looked like he was in a very foul mood.

"Hey, Kendra? Why is your face-" Hunter didn't get to ask his question, as Kendra was off in an instant to the bridge out of Market Town. Hunter shrugged, passing it off as 'a girl thing', and heading off after her. Jack grumbled something that might have had to do with strangling Hunter, and followed.

Before he followed, Jeffory whispered, "Mom, Dad...I hope you're watching..." and chased after his team. Little did he know how proud his parents really were.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory and co. were trekking across rugged terrain on their journey to Legend Mountain, as Hunter called it.

As they were walking, Jeffory saw something behind a rock. "Kendra, stay here. Jack, Hunter, come with me." The three crept toward the rock, as cautious as possible. Jeffory pulled out his sword, but before they reached the rock, something came out. It was a large boar-like creature that had tusks coming out of it's sides, as well as it's forehead. It also had black teeth, claws insted of hooves, grey skin, and black pupil-less eyes. It was a Rammer.

Jeffory surprised himself when he did a backflip, and landed on his feet. He ran at the Rammer and swung. His sword simply bounced off. "What the H3$!" he cursed, as the thing swatted him aside with it's head. As he flew through the air, he saw Jack opening fire.

Jack continued firing as the Rammer charged. Jack turned to run, but tripped on a loose rock, and fell to the floor with a cry of "CRUD!" Before the beast reached him, however, it was knocked off it's feet by a blast of water. Hunter and Jeffory, the latter who had just picked himself up, turned to look at Kendra, who was looking very proud of herself.

"I've never done THAT before!" she squealed. Jeffory then saw a weak spot on the downed beast. On it's stomach was a red pulsing thing. Jeffory was grossed out, but he ran for it.

He began to hack at the Rammer's stomach, as Hunter clawed it, and Jack shot at it. The thing was dead in an instant. "That was easy!" cheered Jack. Jeffory thought it was too easy, as well. "Why...wait!" he said, seeing something on it's leg. There was a HUGE bite mark on it. "Something got to it before us..." To say the group was nervous would be the understatment of the century...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

It was 6:20 pm, by the time they reached the foot of the mountain. "Hunter, the parade starts at... sunset, right?" Hunter nodded. "Okay, we have to find a way to the top of the mountain BEFORE then, got it?" The team nodded at their leader.

"'Kay..." _We can't climb it...That would be too dangerous, and Kendra couldn't anyway...and JACK, WHAT ARE YOU DOING! _ Jeffory shouted in his head. "Jack, what the heck are you doing?" he asked seeing Jack, who was now scaling the side of the mountain. "If I can make it to the top, I can stall the monster if it exists! And YOU guys... can... go up the mountain from the... inside!" he told them, not looking away from what he was doing.

"Uh, genius? There's no way to climb it from the inside!" Hunter shouted at Jack. Jack pulled out his blaster, and aimed at the foot of the mountain. He charged his blast, for a minute and fired. The trio quickly dashed away, as the blast exploded on contact with the wall. There was a cave entrance! "Jack, great job! We'll meet ya at the top!" Jeffory called out to his climbing pal. "Got ya!"

Kendra stopped, as the other two ran into the cave. "Be careful, Jack!" she called to him. He turned back to her, and grinned. Kendra followed her fellow defenders-in-training.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory looked around the inside of the cave. It was dark... too dark. "Hunter, Kendra, stay close. I don't trust this place..."

As they were walking, some Korbats flew by, scaring the heck out of poor Kendra. Jeffory watched them fly off, wondering what they were trying to escape from, when suddenly...

_ROAR!_ Jeffory let out a startled cry as he heard it. Hunter was crouched down low, growling, and while Kendra was shaking with fear, she stood her ground. Jeffory reached for his sword.

From around the corner, a colossal snake came out. It had six - count 'em, six - eyes; its skin looked rock hard; its nose frequently shot out smoke; it had three tongues; and last, but not least, its neck down to its tail was in a giant turtle's shell made of rocks. "Holy..." muttered Jeffory upon seeing the Shelled Snake. "We can't fight it here! We're gonna have to find an opening in the cave, ahead!" called Hunter to his team.

They nodded frantically. Kendra made to get past the beast, but it snapped its large teeth at her. She did a back flip, shooting a water blast out of her hands in mid-air. It drenched the beast's face, giving her enough time to squeeze through the corner and make a run deeper into the cave. It tried to swing its tail at her, but she leapt over it.

Hunter attempted to do the same, but the Shelled Snake hissed and let out a burst of fire, nearly singeing the Kougra's tail. He yelped and ran faster; he jumped into the air, and slashed his claws at its eye. The snake turned its head in time to not lose its eye, but Hunter got by in the process.

Jeffory knew the thing would not be fooled so easily next time, so he came up with a new tactic. He ran at it as it opened its mouth and wedged his sword between its front teeth. As the Shelled Snake flailed its head around in an attempt to throw off the courageous Kyrii, Jeffory held on to his sword for dear life. Then, in one quick action, he climbed up his sword, and jumped onto the snake's head. The thing managed to snap its jaw shut, launching the sword upward in the process. Jeffory snatched his Arrow of Life by the handle, and took off running down the snake's back. It writhed around, making Jeffory barely keep his balance. When he got to the end of the tail, he jumped off, hitting the ground on his feet. He didn't take time to pat himself on the back for his daring escape; instead, he continued running down the long corrider.

"Hunter, Kendra! Don't slow down, keep running!" Jeffory shouted to his friends who were ahead. "'Kay!" called Hunter. "Yes!" called Kendra. The Shelled Snake had turned its body around by going into a more open part, and was now gaining on them. Jeffory was reminded of that Snakehog, back before he joined the academy.

Jeffory looked upwards in silent praise, when he saw an opening in the cave up ahead. The three heroes ran into the middle of the area and assumed battle positions. The snake came around the corner, ready to kill. "Kendra, I want you to infuse my sword with fire, got it!" Jeffory called to her. "A magic sword(1)?" she called back. Jeffory nodded. Kendra nodded as well, though a little shaky. "AS ONE!" Jeffory called to his partners, as he charged at the beast. He was glad the others knew what he meant, as they followed. Jeffory rolled under a snap from the Shelled Snake, and rammed his sword into its mouth, yet again.

He heard Kendra let out a cry of determination as his sword began to glow. The blade was now on fire, and Jeffory's face felt like it was going to melt. The snake let out a loud shriek, and spit out Jeffory. He landed with a dull thud. The flames must've burned the roof of its mouth. He then remembered. "HUNTER! Snakes are weak against getting attacked in the roof of their mouth, right?" he asked/screamed. "Yeah! It has to go through to kill it, though!" Jeffory nodded.

The snake knew its limit to getting stabbed in the mouth, so now its head was poised high, as to keep its meals from attacking there. "SHOOT!" Jeffory yelled in frustration. He couldn't get up there! It let out a stream of fire, and Jeffory barely rolled. Hunter yowled as the fire burned his tail, and Kendra shot a long stream of water at the Shelled Snake's stream, extinguishing it. Jeffory was growing tired. _We have to end this..._ Some of Kendra's water went astray and put out Hunter's tail. "Wheeeew..." he sighed, stopping his frantic running.

Jeffory ran at the beast again. Fire sword at the ready, he clambered on to its back, and jumped up, his sword raised above his head. Kendra let out a cry, "WIND!" Jeffory's blade now had a swirling wind around it, merging with the fire. He slammed his fire/wind sword into its shell; the result, somehow, made glass.(2) The entire shell turned to glass, and in an instant, shattered, spreading glass turtle shell all around. The beast let out a roar of agony, as Jeffory dug his sword into the rock hard skin around its neck, and clung for dear life.

Kendra then got an idea. She shot a large burst of fire at the ceiling. She knocked a stalactite down. She got it with her telekinesis, and hurled it at Jeffory in an instant. "Hit it, Jeff!" she cried. Jeffory saw it coming, and he wrapped his hands on the handle of his sword, and used it as a pole to swing off of. He kicked the stalactite to Hunter. "HUNTER!" Jeffory grabbed onto the beast's mouth, and pulled himself into its mouth. He put his hands up, and by some luck, he managed to keep the snake from closing its mouth. This probably had to do with it being weak, anyway.

Hunter caught the stalactite in his tail, and spun before launching it back at Jeffory, with all his might. "HERE YOU GO!" Jeffory let go of the roof of the Shelled Snake's mouth with one hand, and caught the stalactite with his free hand. Before the Shelled Snake could react, Jeffory slammed the sharp part of the stalactite through the roof of its mouth(3). The beast roared in fury and pain, writhing its head around. Jeffory leapt out of its mouth, Kendra catching him with her telekinesis. They watched as their enemy writhed in pain, the top of the stalactite still visible in the top of its head. With one final screech, it fell to the ground, dead. Something then came to mind: "I bet THIS was what got that Rammer..."

Jeffory sighed in relief, and looked at his friends. "Good job, guys! We did it!" They all grinned. But Kendra looked a little upset. She was hoping that Jack hadn't run into something terrible, like that snake. Jeffory and Hunter were thinking the same thing.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory had retrieved his sword from the fallen beast. And, after Kendra fixed them all up, they continued deeper in. As they marched further in, they heard a groan from up ahead. Jeffory ran forward, forcing the others to run after him. What they saw scared them all to no end. They saw a beaten, battered, body lying on the ground in front of them. What scared them the most, though, was who it was. It was Jack. The Mynci was covered in blood; he was bruised on every part of his body; his eyes were barely open; his clothes were ripped; his breathing was uneven and ragged; and his right arm was twisted in an angle that it really shouldn't twist. "JACK!" the party screamed upon seeing him. Jack moaned, and turned to look at them. He chuckled, which turned to coughing. Kendra ran to his side, and shushed him. "Oh, God, Jack..." she said, seeing his condition.

"H-hey, guys...I g-g-got-i-it..." he stuttered weakly, referring to the monster of Legend. Jeffory's eyes widened at this. _He got the monster, and the monster got him... _Jeffory thought sadly. "We don't have time for questions! We have to get him back to Market Town! A Hospital!" Kendra cried frantically, her face was coverd in tears. Jeffory and Hunter just lowered their heads. "It took us half a day to get here from Market Town..." Hunter said softly. There was no way they could get him back to Market Town... not with him breathing, at least. Kendra began to sob now. She was crying her eyes out. Not just because she liked Jack in a more-than-a-friend way, but also because he was her friend, her teammate... and there was nothing she could do. Jeffory wanted to say something, anything, to comfort his friend, but nothing came out... The only sound from the cave was Kendra's sobs.

**There you have it! Chappie 9! I iz HAPPY! WILL JACK DIE? WILL THE TEAM MAKE IT BACK TO MARKET TOWN? WILL THERE BE SQUIRTY CHEESE! Next chapter, will reveal ALL there is to reveal about this chapter! CLIFF HANGER!**

**(1) This idea was brought to you by: Final Fantasy IX. **

**(2) I got this from a Bionicle movie, I watched when I was little.**

**(3) This scene was brought to you by: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.**

**R&R, please! LaDude out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note **

**Dude: OOH! CLIFFHANGER! Ahem...Anyway, this is chapter 10, which is mostly a flashback chapter, saying what Jack was doing during Jeffory and co.'s fight with the Shelled Snake (which I loved writing, by the way.)**

**Jack: Ow...my body aches...CURSE YOU, LADUDE! *Cough...Wheeze.* Also, no reviews for the last couple chapters? They weren't that bad were they? Anyway, sorry again for the long wait. Please review!**

**Defenders of Neopia, chapter 10 - Jack's side of the story and Airship.**

Jeffory watched as Kendra continued to cry. Hunter let out a sad sigh next to him. "What are we gonna do...?" he asked Jeffory. The Kyrii shook his head. He didn't know what to do. He lowered his head. Why does everybody who's important to him, die? Was he just not worthy of having important people in his life? Had he done something to not deserve happiness? He tried to shake these thoughts out of his head, but to no avail.

Jeffory slumped to the ground, crushed. He had to be strong. _I can't...I have to be strong for the team..._ he thought to himself. Kendra's sobs had died down. Now, they were nothing more than pitiful whimpers. Suddenly, she began to glow with an eerie white light. Hunter looked around, nervously. "Uh...Kendra? W-w-what are you doing...?" he asked timidly. She didn't answer, but began to glow brighter. The cave around them glowed, too. Then they all disappeared from the cave.

Jeffory felt like he was being sucked through a tube as Kendra somehow teleported them out of the cave. Finally, the feeling stopped as the team landed in a heap, in the middle of town, and by some miracle, in front of a hospital.

"Oww..." moaned Jack, as the team climbed off of each other. Jeffory quickly hauled Hunter to his feet. "Quick, help me carry him inside!" he ordered, urgently. Hunter obliged, as he leaned down, letting Jeffory put the dying Mynci on his back. Hunter quickly walked towards the hospital doors, with Jeffory holding Jack steady. Kendra ran ahead to get Jack medical attention.

The second Jeffory and Hunter walked in the door, a robotic Chia came, took Jack off Hunter's back (which he was very thankful for), and hurried him down the hall. Jeffory almost reached for his sword, but stopped. _It's a medical robot...NOT a Kass robot..._ he told himself over and over in his head. His experience with the robots on the Station was still fresh in his mind...

He and Hunter followed Kendra down the hall. She had floated off after Jack, in the blink of an eye. When the two went into the room Jack had been rushed to, they saw him already on the bed. There was a breathing tube hooked to him already. And he was in a hospital gown. Jeffory knew in an instant that when Jack awoke, he would have a Kau about how he HATED women's clothing.(1) _MAN, they work FAST! _Jeffory thought. Though he was glad that they had gotten to him that quickly. He noticed Kendra, who was looking frantic, and went to comfort her. Hunter followed.

"Kendra, he's gonna be okay, alright? If you hadn't... done what you did, Jack would be..." he didn't finish. If he said "dead," Kendra would have a meltdown... if she wasn't having one now. The Nurse walked over to them. She was a Usul, in a nurse uniform, with blue eyes. She looked about 30-35. "Your friend is correct, your boyfriend will be just fine." Kendra began to blush furiously, like earlier. Jeffory couldn't help but grin. The nurse had obviously seen how upset she was, and assumed Jack was her boyfriend.

"U-u-um, he's not my-" Kendra started, but Hunter cut her off. "She means, she doesn't know what she would do without him," he told the Nurse, who laughed. Kendra would never admit it, but what Hunter said was kinda true...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The trio were sitting in the waiting room. In a couple hours, Jack would be awake, and they could go see him. Jeffory was very glad Jack wasn't dead. He would feel horrible. Jack was a good friend, and even though he hadn't known Jack all THAT long, Jeffory felt as if Jack was his brother. Kendra obviously had a thing for Jack, and the others weren't going to bug her about it. Girls need their personal space. Jack, on the other hand...

Hunter was dozing off. It wasn't really that late, but they had a big day. Kendra was wide awake, and was excited to see Jack. Every once and awhile, she would think about what that Nurse had said. "Your boyfriend will be just fine." And when she did, she would begin to blush again.

Jeffory noticed that there was hardly any people in the hospital. In fact, nobody was there, except Nurses, Docters, and patients. Jeffory heard Kendra sigh next to him. Jeffory could tell she was having inner tormoil on her feelings for Jack. He wanted to reassure her, but he wouldn't tell her Jack liked her, because Jack trusted him. And even though, Jack hadn't REALLY told him he liked her, it was so obvious it was scary.

Jeffory eventually nodded off in his chair. And he had a really weird dream...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

In his dream, he was standing in a pitch black area. He heard a cry for help, to his left. "Jeffory! HELP ME!" "Sam!" Jeffory called to the voice. Then he nearly had a heart attack. He saw Sam limp towards him. He looked almost EXACTLY like Jack, when he found him dying. "Why didn't you help me... Jeffory?" he asked sadly.

Jeffory shook his head. "No! I wanted to help you! I still do!" he cried. Sam began to turn to a skeleton. "Nooo... Jeffory, you're too late..." Sam whispered, as his skeleton fell to the ground, still. "No... nonononono!" Jeffory shouted, holding his head in his hands and dropping to his knees. Then the scene changed.

He was standing on the roof of the Academy. He was pointing his sword at Kass; his team was laying still on the ground. Jack's arm was broken, and he was bleeding badly. Kendra's horn was broken in half, her hair was a mess, and her eyes were glazed over. Hunter was badly mangled, and unconscious. "NO!" Jeffory shouted, once again falling to his knees.

The scene changed again. Now there were swirls and other random things in the background. He was floating. He saw people floating around him. Kass, Jack, Sam, Hunter, Kendra, Maya, Emma, and Grey. Kendra said "I'm a Magic user" over and over, while Hunter said, "Must've slipped my mind." Emma shouted, "We can't take in strays!" and Maya said, "Are you okay?" Sam shouted, "I GOTTA GO SOOOO BAD!" Grey said, "You're so much like him..."

Kass was cackling, and Jack said, in a voice that sounded like he just sucked in helium, "Pudding-covered mayor!" Kass' cackling stopped as he floated over to Jeffory, sword drawn. Jeffory reached for his sword, but found it was not there. He turned back to Kass, who was rearing back his sword. "Time's up!" He then ended Jeffory's life...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory woke with a start, panting heavily. He looked next to him, and saw Kendra looking at him worried. "You alright?" she asked. Jeffory nodded shakily. "You were talking in your sleep... Were you having a nightmare?" she asked. Jeffory nodded again. They sat in silence, until Hunter let out a loud snort. Jeffory jumped, and looked over to see Hunter was sprawled on the ground, snoring. Obviously, he had fallen off his chair. The doctor walked out, and addressed Jeffory. "Mr. Mason is ready to see you." he told them, and he smiled warmly when he saw the excited look on their faces. Jeffory shook Hunter awake, who muttered, "I'm up..." and they followed the doctor into the room.

They saw Jack who was sitting up, and grinning at them. He looked like he hadn't been half dead at all! Those instant recovery potions work wonders. Jeffory turned to look at the doctor. "Thank you so much, sir," he said, shaking his hand. The Doctor laughed. "You're very welcome. I'm afraid he will have to stay here for about a day and a half, because he may be all better, but if he is moved too quickly, he could die." Jeffory nodded. He knew that if someone took an instant recovery potion and moved too fast, they would die...

The doctor left the room to let the friends talk to the Mynci. They all sat down around Jack's bed. Well, Kendra floated over to him, and hugged him, tight. Jack was grinning like mad now, he hugged her in return. Over her shoulder, he gave Hunter and Jeffory a thumbs up, and waggled his eyebrows. They sniggered. She let go, and smiled. Jack said, "I'm sorry for scaring you guys..." Jeffory waved him off. "It's no problem. But, I was wondering... how did you beat that thing?" he asked. Jack grinned, "Well..."

Flashback.

_"Jack, be careful!" Kendra called to Jack. He looked back at her, and smiled. Kendra followed the others inside. Jack continued climbing; he knew this idea was practically suicide, but he had to do it. At first, he was just doing it for the town, so it would be safe. But after thinking about it, he was also doing it to impress Kendra. _

_He began to think about Kendra. Did she really like him? Or was she just concerned for his safety? Like the way she was around the other two...? Jack was so caught up in his thoughts, that he missed a foot hold. He let out a startled cry, before grabbing hold of the mountain, with his tail. He sighed in relief. "I could give Hunt a run for his money..." he mutterd to himself, before righting himself. He continued to climb._

_Soon, he got to the top, panting heavily. He pulled himself up. He caught his breath before looking around. There were large rocks everywhere, and he could hardly see anything other than those rocks.(1) Suddenly, he heard a low growl to his left. He turned to see a large dragon's head emerge from behind one of the rock barriers. It had two curved horns on both sides of its head; it had dark grey scales, red eyes, and HUGE silver wings, which were badly damaged but looked like the thing could still use them to fly. Its tail was also silver. The dragon's back had many horns going down, and its four legs were grey, with silver chains around them, and HUGE black talons. Last, but not least, it had a large armour thing on it's face, with divine writing all over it._

_The Silver Wing growled, and struck with its head. Jack barely rolled out of the way; he pulled out his blaster and began to run and gun. He growled when his blaster simply bounced off its scales. He got to the back of the Silver Wing, and barely jumped over it's swinging tail. He was caught off-guard when the tail hit him in the back. He landed on the ground with an "OW!" His blaster flew out of his hand and skidded away, towards the edge of the mountain! _

_"CRAP!" Jack cursed, getting to his feet and running after it. He sped up as he heard the Silver Wing pursuing him. He leapt off the mountain, and grabbed the blaster in his hand while grabbing the cliff with his tail. He gulped when he saw how high up he was. He heard the Silver Wing's footsteps behind him, and he tried a last ditch effort. He strained to use his tail to propel himself upward. He did a flip, narrowly missing the angry monster's jaws, and landed at its feet. He ran under it and slid; while he slid under the Silver Wing, he shot at its soft underbelly, splattering himself with it's reddish-black blood. _

_The Silver Wing cried out in agony before seizing Jack in its tail. Jack groaned, then cried out when it's sharp scales dug into his flesh. The Silver Wing held Jack above it's head and let go, sending Jack into its mouth. Jack cursed loudly at this, and randomly fired at places in the thing's mouth. Then, he shot at the uvula. That did it. The Silver Wing roared in agony; orange fire shot from its mouth, burning Jack AND launching him out of the thing's throat. He landed in a heap. His body ached, and he rolled onto his back just in time to see the Silver Wing charging up something in its throat. Jack barely got a chance to shout before he was consumed in a HUGE blast of fire. _

_The dust cleared, and Jack lay in a heap. His body couldn't move; he was covered in burn marks and his own blood. The dragon wasn't done yet, though. It began to pound on him with its large feet. Jack's whole body crunched, and his arm twisted badly. "AAAGHUUGH!" Jack roared in agony. His body crunched over and over. Jack's vision was failing him, his breathing had become ragged, and he was coughing up blood. I'm sorry, guys... I just couldn't do it... he thought sadly. Then a miracle happened: a figure came down out of nowhere and began simply pummeling the beast. Jack's eyes barely followed his saviour as he leapt around the mountain, punching the beast. Jack wasn't able to make out what the brawler was, as his eyes were glazed and he was slipping in and out of the eternal Silver Wing had enough, though. It managed to seize the brave fighter in it's mouth. _

_Its victory was short lived, however. Its body suddenly froze, and then it began to turn to crystal... Jack's "guardian angel' leapt out of the crystalized Silver Wing, and disappeared into the shadows. Jack, with his good arm, raised his blaster and fired. The Silver Wing exploded into a million crystal pieces. One piece flew over to Jack, who was pulling himself off the ground. He reached over and pocketed the glimmering stone. Jack then looked around; he had to find his friends, before it was over... He caught sight of a cave. Good... he thought, dragging himself to it._

_End Flashback._

The team was staring wide-eyed at Jack after he finished his story. "Who was the fighter?" asked Kendra. Jack shrugged; he then remembered he was still sore. "Ow," he grumbled. Jeffory was silent. _Why would some guy show up, save Jack, and then disappear...?_ he thought to himself. Hunter seemed lost in thought. Kendra looked at him. "What's the matter, Hunt?" she asked, sounding concerned. Hunter jumped, after his train of thought was broken. "Um, nothing, Kendra..." Jeffory eyed him strangely. Jack yawned. "I'm gonna take a nap..." he informed them, lying down. He was asleep within a couple minutes. Hunter stood up, "Jeffory, I need you to come with me," he told him. Jeffory tilted his head in confusion. "Whyyyyy?" he asked. Hunter shook his head. "Just c'mon!" he turned and left the room.

Jeffory looked at Kendra, who was giving him a "don't-look-at-me" look. Jeffory rolled his eyes. "I'll follow. Kendra, could you-" Kendra cut of the Kyrii. "Yes, I'll stay with Jack," she told him, smiling. Jeffory grinned, waving and running after the anxious Kougra.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory walked out of the hospital, and gasped at the sight. The Freedom Festival had begun. There were stands, games, concerts, you name it. Jeffory chuckled at two little kids playing with glow in the dark toy swords. "I'll beat you, villian! I'm a Defender!" cried a small Lupe, playfully. Jeffory noticed that the other kid wore a skull mask. "I am Lord Darigan, the most evil person in ALL OF NEOPIA! Bow before me!" cried a starry Gelert. Jeffory took in more of the festival.

He saw there were fireworks, in the distance. Their beautiful colors illuminated the streets. Jeffory was reminded of a time he went to see the fourth of July fireworks, as a little boy with his family.

Flashback

_Jeffory walked next to his mother, who was holding his little hand. "Mommy, why are we weaving the car?" he asked in his little-boy voice. His mother laughed. "You'll see, sweetie," she answered. Soon they came to a nice lake; someone was there. "Daddy!" cried Jeffory. His mother let go of her son's hand as he ran to his father. His father picked him up. "I tot you were woiking?" asked Jeffory. His father hugged him. "I took the day off, so I could be with you both," His wife walked over and hugged him. The fireworks had started, the beautiful colors reflecting on the lake. After a little while, Jeffory had fallen asleep. His parents cuddled the two-year-old for the rest of the show. Jeffory wished it could always be like this, just so happy..._

End Flashback

Jeffory barely noticed a small tear escape his eye. He brushed it off._ Pull it together, man._ "Jeffory!" a voice called to him. He turned and saw Hunter looking at him, amused. "C'mon," Hunter simply said, walking off towards the Mansion.

As Jeffory followed Hunter into the Tagari house, he had to catch his breath. The place was GORGEOUS. Beautiful patterned carpet across the floor, the wallpaper was a simulated ocean, up the walls were lines similar to the one in the Nora, a beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling, there were Monet and Van Gogh paintings on the wall. In the backround, there was Beethoven's fourth symphony playing. Jeffory then realized that this was only the living room! "C'mon, stop gawking," Hunter told him, Jeffory turned and followed him.

They decended the steps into a messy garage. Jeffory guessed that this was the only room that the Tagaris didn't care to clean. Through the clutter, Jeffory saw a workshop table; he guessed it was Hunter's. Hunter ran over to a cloth and pulled it off. Underneath, there was a small airship. It was long and silver, with grey armour pieces all over it for protection. On the front of the ship was a metal piece that looked like pincers. This must have been the cannon. There were some metal pipes, and the airship was parked. Hunter pulled a remote out of his pocket, and pressed a button. A hatch on the side of the ship opened up. Hunter climbed in with Jeffory in tow. The ship looked exactly like the inside of Nora. A lot smaller, though.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Over the next couple of days, Jack had recovered, and Hunter took the entire party to see his airship. "Tada! I call it the AS!" Jack sniggered. Jeffory elbowed him in the gut. "AS, not A******" Jeffory told him. "The only problem is that I don't have what the last piece," Hunter sighed sadly. The crew's smiles diminished. They needed to get back to the academy; they had been here for almost a week! The only way they could get back to Brightvale was by airship... "What's the missing piece?" asked Kendra. "A crystal shard," Hunter answered. Jack gasped, and reached into his pocket. "Will this work?" he asked, holding the crystal shard from the Silver Wing. "YES!" Hunter cried, taking the shard, and running into the ship. Jeffory made a face. _That was freakishly convenient... _he thought. A couple of clatters, and curses later, the AS (Air Slasher) rose into the air.

The trio, thinking fast, jumped into the ship's open hatch. They quickly ran to their seats, buckling in. Hunter ran to his pilot's seat and took the yoke. The garage door slowly opened. 3...2...1! The Air Slasher, launched out the door, the wind from behind it, knocking stuff in the garage over. As the AS sped through the town, dangerously close to the ground, people screamed, running out of the way and barely keeping their limbs. They almost hit an old man, who screamed after them "D*** KIDS!" Jeffory saw them approaching the church. "PULL UP, PULL UP!" He yelled at Hunter. "I'M PULLIN', I'M PULLIN'!" At the last minute, the Air Slasher sped upwards. A girly scream came through the ship. Jeffory thought it was Kendra, until he looked back and saw Jack curled up in his seat, just in the middle of closing his mouth.

Finally, the ship was speeding through the air, in the sky where it should be. Jeffory sighed in relief. _Mission complete...I guess. _Jeffory looked out the window, eventually drifting into dreamworld from watching thhe clouds speed by.

**Alright end of chapter 10. We have reached midway point of D.O.N. 1. About 5 more chapters. **

**(1) This area looks like the place Harry fought the Horntail in Goblet of Fire film.**

**R&R, please! LaDude out.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note.**

**Dude: Whassup, my peeps? I'm back, with chapter 11. Mood: Psyched.**

**Hunter: He had coffee again...**

**Defenders of Neopia, chapter 11. Truth and danger.**

Jeffory watched Neopia soar by through the Air Slasher's window. He had been thinking about what would happen when he saved Sam. Would he go back to Meridell, or would he stay at the Academy? _**If**__ I save Sam..._ Jeffory corrected himself. "Ya know something," a voice said behind him. Jeffory nearly jumped out of his skin, as he turned around. There was Jack in his face.

"I was saying, what do you think about going to the Space Station? When Kass is gone, I mean?" Jack asked. Jeffory felt hatred well up inside of him at the mention of that name. His fists clenched, and his eyes narrowed. "Jeff, what DO you have against that name!" Hunter asked, Jeffory from the pilot's seat. It was true: a couple days ago, Hunter had asked Jeffory about that tyrant, and Jeffory lost it.

Jeffory then knew, a leader shouldn't keep secrets. He took a deep breath, and finally told them the truth.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory finished his story, looking depressed. His team was stunned. Jack looked like he was confused, Hunter looked sympathetic, and Kendra looked like she wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how. "Why...why didn't you tell us?" Hunter asked. Jeffory told them. "It was my problem, I shouldn't drag you guys, or anyone else, into it," he explained.

Kendra rolled her eyes. "Jeffory, you shouldn't push away your friends. Friends help each other, right?" She elbowed Jack, to get him to say something, "Ow, yeah, yeah. We'll do what we can to help," he reassured him, rubbing his ribs where Kendra hit him. Hunter nodded. "Yeah, when we get back to the academy, we'll try to get a mission to the space station." Jeffory looked at them. "Guys, I appreciate this, but we can't get to the station, anyway, remember?" Hunter shook his head, "We WILL get to the station, I promise." Jeffory felt happy when they told him that. "Thank you..." they all nodded, smiling at their leader.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The Air Slasher docked, at the hangar. When they climbed out, they saw Jake come running toward them. "You guys, where HAVE you BEEN?" he asked them frantically. Jack opened his mouth to respond, but Jake cut him off. "WHERE'S MY BABY!" Jake screamed, just noticing the Nora wasn't there. The team all looked at eachother, before attempting to explain. "Well, it's like this... Um... The Nora blew... up," Jeffory told Jake, taking a step backwards, in case he went nuts. Jake made a series of faces, each odder than the rest. First, he was angry, then he was sad, then he was confused, then... he appeared to be constipated. Jake, right before their eyes, fell down on his knees and sobbed. Jeffory took another step back, almost bumping into Kendra. "What should we do?" he asked. Jack shrugged, looking at the Grarrl, who had now made a large puddle of tears.

Hunter looked at Jeffory, "Maybe you should go report to the Commander, tell him we're back," he told him. Jeffory nodded. Kendra spoke up, "We'll stay and comfort Jake." Jeffory nodded at her before walking out of the room.

As he walked down the hall, Jeffory thought about the mysterious figure who rescued Jack. Who was it...? What kind of Neopian could turn a monster to CRYSTAL? It didn't make sense. As he was lost in thought, he bumped into Scott, the Scorchio who hit on Kendra, knocking him over. "Ow," groaned the fallen Scorchio. "Sorry, let me help..." Jeffory helped the young fire breather to his feet. "Thanks. OH, YOU'RE BACK!" Scott said excitedly, jumping up and down. Jeffory scratched his head. "It took you this long to notice that?" he asked increduluosly. Scott chuckled, "I've always been slow. Anyway, Grey wants to see you," he explained.

Jeffory was about to open his mouth, when Scott cut him off. "He saw your Airship pull in. By the way, that's a nice ship." Scott then waved goodbye, and walked off, leaving a confused Kyrii. "That guy is something else..."

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

"...And then our Airship crashed, and we went to Market Town, and we went to the mountain, and-" Jeffory was cut off, by Grey speaking calmly. "Yes, I understand. I'm proud of your team Jeffory, tell them that," Grey told him. Jeffory smiled, nodding, "I will, sir." Jeffory stood up to leave, when Grey stopped him. "Jeffory, You're team made a good choice. Picking you to be leader, I mean," Grey told him, smiling. "Thanks, sir." Jeffory told him. "Jeffory, I believe it's time I told you something," Grey said softly. Jeffory slowly, sat back down. "I feel horrible, I never told you this... I know about your father..." Jeffory eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "A-A-are you...s-s-serious? You know that Kass came, and killed him, and put Meridell in ruins?" he asked frantically. Grey nodded.

"Your father and I were very good friends, when we were your age and onward. Kyle was at the Academy; he planned on being the best Defender there ever was! I was with him. Then he met your mother, Maria. She was so sweet to us. She treated me like family after she and Kyle married. Kyle dropped out of the Academy before he married Maria. I don't resent him at all, but it was lonely without him... I became Commander after that. You and...You were born... and I came to visit you then. You wouldn't have remembered me, though. You were too young. I came to find you, but Meridell was in ruins. I looked everywhere for you, but... I just couldn't find you..." As Grey told the story, Jeffory just listened. He couldn't believe it: there was someone who knew about his father and mother's deaths, but he never told him...?

Jeffory began to feel angry. WHY hadn't he searched harder? Why hadn't he gotten more help! Why hadn't he come back later, and gotten him! Jeffory felt angry tears well up in his eyes, but he closed his electric blue irises, to force back the tears. He stood up, his rage coming out like a bullet. "WHY! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHEN WE MET? WHY DIDN'T YOU TRY HARDER TO FIND ME!" he shouted. Grey let him shout, merely staying silent. "Why didn't... Dad tell me...?" Jeffory had quieted to a whisper.

"Your father... your father didn't want that life for you. He didn't want to lose his son..." "So I Iost my family instead," snapped Jeffory. Grey looked a bit taken aback at this. "He didn't know this would happen, Jeffory, honest," Grey tried. Jeffory shook his head. "I... I have to be alone..." Without another word, Jeffory stood up, and walked out of the office.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory walked quickly down the halls toward his dorm. On the way, he saw his friends, but he walked past them, leaving them confused and worried. Once he got to his room, he closed the door behind him and sighed. He stumbled over to his bed, and plopped down on it. He didn't bother to turn on the light, but buried his face in his pillow. He didn't cry. He chuckled, beside his sadness. _Maybe I used them all up, ten years ago..._ he thought, amusedly. He heard the whirring of VIM, behind him, but didn't bother to turn around. "Are you alright, sir? Is there anything I can do to help you, Mr. Knights? Maybe some tea, some coffee, hot chocolate maybe...?" Jeffory felt glad that the moniter cared enough to try to help him, but he needed alone time.

"I'm fine, VIM. Could I have some time to myself, please?" he asked softly. VIM said, "Of course, sir," before retracting into the bedside.

Jeffory soon drifted off to sleep.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory awoke to see his friends watching him with worried expressions. He absentmindedly noticed that it was now nighttime. "Hey... guys," he murmured sleepily. Jack got straight to the point. "What happened? What did Grey tell you?" he asked quickly. Kendra swatted Jack's arm, making him yelp: "What was that for!" Kendra scolded him. "First off, it's COMMANDER Grey, and if Jeffory wants to tell us, he will," she told him.

Jack lowered his head, but nodded. It was obvious he felt bad for intruding on his best friend's personal problems, so Jeffory reassured him. "It's okay, Jack. I was gonna tell you all anyway..." Hunter jumped in. "So... when you went to the office what did he say?" Jeffory's eyes narrowed. "He... he knew my dad. And mom, too! But he didn't tell me. He said he came to find me in the ruins of Meridell, but he couldn't! So he just gave up! He didn't try a year later, two years later, nothing!" he snarled, his voice rising to a shout. His team looked a little taken aback at his rage, but they weren 't TOO obvious, minus Hunter, who was shaking.

"Jeff-" Jack attempted, but Jeffory cut him off snapping, "Forget it! It doesn't matter, anymore! They're dead, and there's NOTHING I can do, but MURDER Kass at the station..." he growled, vicious thoughts of tearing Kass apart, flashing through his mind. Kendra jumped, looking at him, stunned. "Jeffory... Your eyes... T-t-they're..." she stuttered. Jeffory arched a brow, and noticed his other friends staring at him, too. "What?"

Jack pointed to the mirror on the wall. "Go l-l-look," he stuttered, like Kendra. Jeffory gave them a weird look, but walked over to the mirror. He gasped. His normally electric blue eyes, had turned black, and pupiless. They suddenly flashed back to normal as a loud explosion reached his ears. "What the h***...?" he muttered, running to his balcony, his friends behind him. Jeffory's eyes widened.

Outside, there was a HUGE invasion. Soldiers were grappling down from plain grey helicopters, adorned with the same mark that was on Kass' armour. The soldiers were clad in black bodysuits, with the pulsing blue lines that were on most things these days. They were holding guns. Lots and lots of guns. The male soldiers were wearing the bodysuits, with helmets that covered their heads, though they were shaped to fit the heads of different species.

The females, however, had the armour that was more form fitting than the males. Jeffory saw where the explosion came from. A large Grarrl was stomping along, wielding a huge missile launcher. The big guy caught sight of Jeffory and co. and hefted the launcher up. "Oh, sh-" Jack was cut off, by his team slamming into him, taking them all to the ground. The missile flew over their heads, exploding in the room behind them.

The force of the explosion made Hunter hit his head on the balcony rail. "Ow!" he cried, rubbing his head. Jeffory picked himself off the ground, Jack helping Kendra to her... floating? Jeffory, thinking fast, snatched Jack's gun out of his pocket, and aimed it at the brute. "Checkmate..." he muttered, shooting at the Grarrl's head. He was dead in an instant.

Jeffory tossed the gun back to Jack. "We've got work to do," he told them. They nodded, except Kendra. "Guys..." She pointed to the room. They turned around and pulled out their weapons. There were... fire people, in the room. "Kendra-" Jack started. "I know," Kendra cut him off. Her fins glowed blue, as did Jeffory sword and Jack's gun.

Jeffory ran first into the on-fire room, growling at the heated menaces. They looked like zombies, almost, that were covered in flames. They moaned, stalking towards him. Jeffory pointed his water-infused sword. "Bring it, uglies!" He ran at the first, who, somehow, did a dodge, swatting Jeffory's arm and burning it. "OW!" He clutched his pained arm, and used his good hand to swing his sword, killing the intruder. He looked around, to see that his team had finished the rest.

"What the crap were those things?" Hunter asked frantically. Kendra quickly noticed Jeffory's arm, and healed it. "Thanks..." He hardly noticed the sprinklers coming on and putting out the flames. "Now, what were those things, Kendra?" he asked. Kendra shook her head. "I don't... know... Those things, it would have HAD to be a Magic User to use a spell like that..." she told them quietly. Jeffory nodded. He didn't see a Magic User, and he doubted that the Grarrl knew how to use it... "Come on, we have to get down to the bottom floor," he ordered. The team nodded.

As they exited the room, Jeffory knew Kass was behind this, and that he would show up here eventually. And when he did, Jeffory would get his revenge...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory ran ahead to the elevator, eager to find Kass. "Jeffory, wait!" called Kendra. Jeffory ignored her, pushing bottom floor on the elevator. "Jeffory, will ya just... stop for a second!" Jack asked angrily, shaking Jeffory's shoulder. The Kyrii brushed off his hand. "I know what you're thinkin'... you want to fight Kass... but YOU KNOW he will kick your a**!"

The elevator door opened. Jeffory stomped inside, his friends at his heels. The doors closed, leaving the elevator to decend... slowly. "I'm just saying that we don't want you to go gettin' yourself hurt! I mean-" Jeffory cut him off, with an angry snarl. "You don't get it! YOU have a family! YOUR family wasn't murdered by a madman! You're not ALONE!" he shouted, making Jack back up, and hang his head. Kendra looked ready to slap Jeffory for treating Jack like that, but stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. Jeffory's tone had dropped to barely a whisper. "You don't know what it feels like, having your friend - practically your brother - at the mercy of a psychopath... it's... almost unbearable," he told them softly.

"I have to avenge my family, I HAVE to save Sam." The team stayed quiet the rest of the ride down.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

The doors opened, and Jeffory and co. ran out into the main hall. It was h*** out there. There were soldiers' dead bodies strewn all around, along with some wounded students. There were gun shots, and students tried desperately to fend off the oncoming wave of soldiers. Jeffory noticed Scott, who was using his wings to stay in the air, and breathing deadly streams of fire at a burning up soldier. Once the Blumaroo was dead, Jeffory called over to the cocky Scorchio. "Scott!" Scott turned upon hearing his name and jogged over to him, smiling.

"Thank God, you're all here! We've got fighters comin' in!" he explained frantically. Jeffory cursed. Jack spoke up, "Fighters? As in planes...?" he asked. Hunter sighed, "No. He means Santa's elves got deadly candy canes, and are attacking- OF COURSE, fighters!" Jeffory swatted Hunter over the head. "Knock it off, you two. Jack!" he addressed the Mynci, who looked ready to pounce on the Kougra. "I need you to go with Hunter to the Air Slasher, and gun down those fighters. And Kendra, heal the wounded," he ordered. The group nodded, running off.

Scott looked expectantly at the young man. "Scott-" "I know! Josh, Tom! Get over here!" An excited-looking Shoyru ran over to him; it was Scott's friend Josh. He was wearing a grey hoodie with the hood down; he had light blue biker shorts, black sneakers, and brown eyes. He was a red-colored Shoyru. "Yeah, I'm ready for action!" he cried excitedly, jumping up and down. The second, Tom, was a shadow Techo, who looked like he thought too highly of himself. He wore a black leather jacket, with very baggy ripped up jeans, and combat boots; he had a katana on his back. He also had pale blue eyes. "Don't get in my way, loser," he growled pushing Jeffory aside. Jeffory muttered "Jack***" under his breath.

Scott pushed the two apart. "Cool off, guys. We're going to take out the tank, got it?" They all nodded. They all ran outside, weapons drawn, to face their enemy.

Once outside, the tank seemed VERY intimidating. It was grey, with the same sign as on the helicoptors and soldiers. It had a HUGE nozzle to fire out missiles. It had very big wheels. In the cockpit, there was a Meerca, clad in his armour. "Come and play, little ones! Heeheeheeheee!" At that, the nozzle changed shape and began firing bullets. Jeffory hit the dirt, Tom rolled away, and Josh and Scott flew out of range. Jeffory got to his feet, and ran towards the tank, a bullet hit his arm, injuring him, but he pressed on. He slid under the tank and slashed its bottom half with the sword; he was really ticked when the attack bounced off.

Tom laughed as the tank attempted to gun him down, failing epically. "You're nothing but trash," he muttred before running at the tank, katana drawn, and growling maniacally. He jumped onto the cockpit and pulled the sword above his head. "I don't think so!" giggled the Meerca (we'll call him Giggles). The cockpit sprung, knocking Tom off, and Giggles laughed.

Scott flew in and breathed a breath of fire at the cockpit; the fire spread off it, though. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" cackled Giggles. Jeffory had enough "Josh!" Jeffory called. "Up we go!" Josh responded, picking Jeffory up by the underarms and flying off. Once they were high in the air, Josh allowed Jeffory to ride on his back, and they charged fast towards the cockpit.

Jeffory pointed his sword towards the cockpit. BAM! The sword made contact with the glass, and it shattered. "Oh, no..." Giggles squealed. Jeffory raised his sword, and stabbed. Blood splashed his face, as his eyes widended in horror... "I just..." It was the first time he killed an enemy- a Neopian, not a monster - and it felt different from when he shot the brute.

This time he stabbed him... felt the blood... He jumped off the tank and dropped to his knees, oblivious to the fighting and commotion around him. "No..." "Get up!" snapped Tom, pulling him to his feet. "Grow up, YOU joined the academy," he snapped. Jeffory lowered his head. Is this what it would feel like to kill Kass? Was it even worth it? Jeffory felt crushed.

He felt dirty and evil, and he was disgusted by himself. "We have to get back inside and rendezvous with your team," Scott said. Jeffory simply nodded.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

From inside the barricaded academy, Jeffory watched out the window. More battles were taking place outside. There were a lot of scared students around him, but he paid them no mind. He still felt disgusting. "Murderer..." he muttered bitterly, his eyes dimming slightly. He was sitting in the lounge; it was where the students stayed to rest after their parts in the battle. He looked and sighed, watching the soldiers circle the building.

He hoped Jack and Hunter were okay...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Hunter forced the airship into a barrel roll, dodging enemy fighters' shots. "Jack, gun it!" he called over his shoulder to the gunner. "BIG BANG!" the immature Mynci shouted loudly, opening fire. "Of ALL the morons I could get stuck with..." Huntermuttered amusedly, taking the ship to a dive. Hunter cursed as a fighter made a u-turn and flew towards them, opening fire. One of the shots hit the wing, lighting it ablaze.

"CRAP! MY BABY!" wailed Hunter loudly. "Jack, I need you off the turrett!" Jack gave him an odd look, and climbed out of his "zone", as he called it. Jack quickly jogged over to the Kougra. "I'm about to open a hatch. There's an escape pod down there. I need to make a few adjustments, take the wheel, and keep us out of range, got it?" Jack nodded, grinning confidently. Hunter pressed the big red SHINY button, and a hatch opened on the floor. Hunter passed the wheel off, and ran to the escape pod.

Jack suddenly forced the ship to a barell roll, making Hunter hit his poor head. "OW! WHAT THE TURD ARE YOU DOING!" After righting himself, he returned to work, singing a little tune in his head. "Doo- dah- doo-deed-doo, red goes in the blue, it's so very cool, don't mess up like a fool. Green goes with his kin..."

From Jack's angle, things were looking bad. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!" he shrieked, making the ship dive.

Back with Hunter, "Then when he's done, you're in like Flynn!" Hunter then pulled a mallet out, and began hammering some screws in. "Swing the hammer like a mace, Jack, if you do that again, I'll break your face!" He added improv to his stupid song. "Voila!" he cried, making Jack jump. "You're done?" Jack called.

"Yes, get in!" shouted Hunter. The Mynci obliged, climbing into the cramped pod. "Okay, now..." muttered Hunter, getting his face out of Jack's armpit, and closing the door. The pod launched out of the ship, towards the roof of the academy. The Air Slasher flew off into the distance, probably never to be seen again.

Hunter sighed; at least they were alive...

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory's thoughts were interrupted as a large explosion sounded outside. Jeffory and Kendra were on their feet in an instant, while some other students looked a bit nervous. Jeffory approached the window, and Jeffory could smell smoke... it seemed to come from the roof. Kendra looked at Jeffory expectantly. "Kendra, come with me," he told her; she nodded.

They left the lounge, and ran to the elevator. Then something came to Jeffory's mind. Where was Commander Grey? Shouldn't he be on the front lines? He shook these thoughts out of his head. Right now, finding the source of that explosion was more important.

DING! was the sound the elevator doors made as they opened. Jeffory stepped out, with Kendra at his heels. Jeffory sighed, "How do we get up on the roof?" Kendra pointed at the fire escape. "Right..." he muttered, heading for it.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Once they reached the roof, Jeffory saw an escape pod that was on fire.

Jeffory's eyes widened when he heard two familiar voices. "Ow, you're on my paw!" cried one angrily. "I wouldn't be on your paw if you didn't get in front of me! You and your big head are in front of the door!" snapped the other in response.

"You KNOW Kougras have... larger heads, what's your excuse?" Hunter replied, stepping out of the tarnished pod. Jack came out, grumbling something about smart people, and their good comebacks. Jeffory was extremely relieved to see his friends were unharmed... Well, Jack's ego was harmed from that head comment. Kendra bolted over to Jack and hugged him tightly. Jack hesitantly returned it, smiling awkwardly.

Hunter rolled his eyes, at the two. Jeffory walked over to Hunter and gave him a one-armed hug, smiling widely.

After hugs and whatnot had passed, Jeffory noticed something. "Hey, where's the Air Slasher?" He immediately wished he hadn't asked as he saw the look on Hunter's face. "She- she- MY BABY'S GONE!" Hunter wailed. Kendra patting him comfortingly on the back. Jeffory rubbed the back of his neck, giving Jack a what-the-heck-is-his-problem look. Jack rolled his eyes, mouthing "I'll tell ya later."

Jeffory appraoached Jack, looking awkward. "Jack... I-I'm sorry, for treating you like crap back there... I was... angry and distraught" - _Why the heck am I saying words like that?_ he thought to himself as he spoke - "but that's not an excuse. You guys have all been so good to me, and I spat in your faces. I'm sorry," he told them softly, feeling cruddier than he had in a while.

Jack grinned, patting Jeffory on the shoulder. "I know, man, and I'm sorry, too. I wasn't understanding how you must have felt, losing your family... I forgive you, Jeff," he told him, looking awkward as well. They gave each other a "man hug" and pulled back, giving each other a fist bump. Kendra rolled her eyes, at their "must be macho" facade.

Jeffory and co. made to return to the academy, when a voice interupted them. "How very touching, dear boy, I must say. But, I'm afraid... your time has come," said the voice, chuckling hatefully. Jeffory's eyes narrowed, and he muttered "Kass" as he pulled out his sword. _I'm going to rip him apart,_ he thought, tightening his grip, on the blade.

Slowly, a figure stepped out of the shadows, holding his large sword, smiling wickedly. Kass stood in front of the party, his eyes narrowing. "Jeffory, how's mommy and daddy?" he taunted.

"A LOT better now. I'm about to avenge them!" In an instant, Jeffory charged at Kass, with a battle cry; his team following without hesitation. Jeffory swung his sword horizontally, almost slashing his enemy. Kass laughed hatefully, slamming a fist into Jeffory's jaw.

_Crunch!_ Jeffory hollered in pain, clutching his broken jaw with one hand, and continuing his attack with his free one. Kass nimbly dodged the blows, smiling tauntingly the entire time. Jeffory felt the pain leave his body. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kendra finishing a cure spell and beginning to charge a thunder. Jeffory was knocked backwards by a kick to the gut, and sliding across the ground.

Jack ran by him, firing blasts rapidly. Kass merely spun his sword, deflecting each shot. Jack, decided to get up close and personal, easily whacking Kass' beak with his blaster. The Eyrie grunted in pain, as a piece of his beak broke off. "REALLY!" cried Jack in rage, as Kass hardly flinched after losing his some of his nose/mouth. Kass seized Jack's arm and twisted it sharply, making Jack scream in agony at his broken arm. Kass wasn't done there, though. He proceeded to punch Jack in the face, gut, side, and nose. At the last hit, Jack slumped forward, barely conscious.

Kass stepped back, letting the battered Mynci fall to the ground. He then slammed the top of hilt of the sword into his face, knocking him out.

Jeffory was slowly getting to his feet when Hunter ran by, shouting, "Bring it, Birdbrain!"

Hunter took a swipe at the Eyrie, only to miss as Kass landed a well-aimed kick in Hunter's face. Hunter staggered backwards, but regained his balance and did a 360 spin, catching Kass' leg with his tail in the process.

With a great tug, Kass was pulled to the ground, knocking the air out of him. Jeffory ran in, to help, absently wondering where Kendra was... He raised his sword, and attempted to stab Kass, but then...

FLASHBACK

_Jeffory pointed his sword towards the cockpit. BAM! The sword made contact with the glass, and it shattered. "Oh, no..." Giggles squealed, and Jeffory raised his sword, and stabbed. Blood splashed his face, as his eyes widended in horror... "I just..." It was the first time he killed an enemy - a Neopian not a monster - and it felt different from when he shot the brute._

END FLASHBACK

Jeffory felt those terrible memories return, and he dropped the sword. It clattered loudly. Jeffory held his head in his hands, shaking. Hunter stared at him, stunned. "What the he** are you DOING!" he asked. Jeffory suddenly remembered his promise. His promise to avenge his parents, to save Sam, and to protect his new friends. He realized he couldn't do that if he didn't kill Kass. "Too late, kid!" shouted Kass, getting to his feet.

Jeffory's eyes widened when, in one swift motion, Kass had driven his sword through Hunter's chest. Said Kougra slowly looked down to the sword as Kass, in an agonizingly slow way, withdrew the blade. When he was done, Hunter slid to the ground, losing consiousness.

Suddenly, a cry of "LIGHTNING!" reached the remaining warriors' ears. Jeffory recognized the voice in an instant. He dared to take his eyes off of Kass, to see Kendra glowing a magnificent color of gold. Then, an insane amount of electricity shot out of her hands and horn. Jeffory did a dive roll out of the way, as the lightning collided with Kass.

_So, that's what she was waiting for! She was waiting for her determination to grow, so she could harness her true potential! _ Jeffory thought excitedly. It was true, Kendra had told him, that if a Magic User is in danger, or emotionaly distressed their power will grow stronger until that problem was resolved. The former will also empower a Magic User if someone they care about is in that situation.

Kass roared in agony, as the electricity flowed through his body. He somehow slowly drew up his sword, and he began glowing like he did in Jeffory's first fight with him. His now-glowing gray sword began to reflect the electricity. Kendra seemed to be trying to break through his defense, but was failing. She stopped the electricity shooting from her hands, and she placed them on her horn. Jeffory realized that she was focusing her energy into one part of her body.

Then, it all stopped. Kass broke the connection with a sickening crunch, and Kendra's horn snapped in half. The girl screamed in agony, falling to the ground, her horn's other half clattering next to her. The reamains of lightning, shot off into the sky, lighting it up.

"What the he**!" asked Jeffory, turning to glare at Kass. "What did you do to her?" he snapped. Kass merely chuckled. "Boy, the girl overexerted herself. If a magic user's power is increased such as hers, and the force connects with another Magic User, a connection will be made. If the rival user wins in the connection duel, the loser's source of magic will be destroyed. I'm surprised that she only got it broken in half, she's stronger than she looks. Easily fixable, but she'll die of fatigue before anyone finds her," he explained, a sadistic smile appearing on his face, at the last part.

Jeffory had taken in every word. ESPECIALLY the connection duel part. "That means... you're a magic user, too!" Jeffory growled his thoughts aloud. Kass smiled clapping sarcastically. "Well done, brat. You figured out my secret... Now we end it!" he shouted charging at the Kyrii.

Jeffory rolled out of the way of a slash and sweep-kicked his opponent's feet out from under him. Jeffory rolled across the ground yet again, and picked up his sword fast enough to parry a blow from the glowing sword of Kass'. So they went like this; parrying each other's blows, and getting in some lucky shots. Jeffory's vision was slightly impaired, because, he guessed, the lightning being shot into the sky triggered something and made it rain.

Kass was obviously getting angry that the boy wouldn't die, as his strikes grew more careless and violent. Jeffory easily side-stepped one, ducked under another, even jumping over the last one, kicking Kass in the beak for good measure. It all counted on this battle; if Jeffory lost, it was all over. Jeffory did a backflip and jumped forward in an attempt at a jumping slash. But Kass had other plans, snapping his fingers; Jeffory froze in midair. He frantically wondered what happened when he noticed his shadow was gone.

Suddenly, Jeffory slugged himself in the face. "What the-" he started, only to slam his fist into the side of his face again. Kass laughed, "You see, I have control over shadows, so your shadow is against you now! Isn't that hilarious?" Jeffory responded to this, by spitting a loose tooth in Kass' face. The Eyrie ignored this. "Now, we'll have some REAL fun!" Jeffory lowered to the ground; since Kass controlled his shadow, Jeffory was forced into a stiff position.

"Now, what to do with you... OH, I know! can you... teach me how to dougie?(1)"

Jeffory was forced into doing the dougie, with a very sour face. After a little bit of goofing around with Jeffory's shadow, Kass decided to end it. Jeffory rose into the air again, and Kass slashed a large X across Jeffory's chest, finishing with a horizontal slash. Jeffory realized that he felt nothing... yet. Kass snapped his fingers, and blood poured out of Jeffory's wounds. The Kyrii hollered in pain as he flew backwards, colliding hard with the ground and almost rolling off the ledge. Jeffory's vision was failing him; he knew he was dying. His breaths were ragged, his body numb...

Kass approached him, and knelt down. "Does it hurt?" he asked, in a voice that would make a baby vomit. Jeffory managed a weak glower. Kass placed his hands on Jeffory's left leg and twisted violently.

_CRUNCH!_

Jeffory cried out in pain. Kass broke into evil cackles, when a voice interupted him. "Now, Kass... is that a way to treat children?" Jeffory recognised the voice as Grey. Kass withdrew from punishing the dying Kyrii to face the Draik. "Old man, your students are pathetic! This one barely survived... the other three are as good as dead, now," he told the Commander. Grey eyed the battered future defenders' scattered bodies before approaching Kass.

"I will end your madness now," he said simply, drawing his sword, gripping it with two hands. At they were at each other. Like a blur, they leapt around the rooftop, swiping at each other. Jeffory thought they fought for hours; indeed, that's how long it felt. Grey backflipped over a vicious swipe. "You've gotten weak, old friend; you're practically an old slug!" the Draik taunted. Old friend?

Kass growled, parrying a blow. "I can say the same about you, Adam," snapped Kass back. They locked blades, glaring daggars st the other. "I must admit, I have a couple new tricks up my sleeve..." Grey said, smiling. Kass growled, "Such as?" Grey broke the lock. "Such as... THIS!" Grey knocked Kass into the air, jumping up after him, throwing the sword up above him. "Ancient art!" His eyes glowed grey, and he made several hand motions. "HOLY BLADE OF SEVEN!" At that, his blade split into seven swords of the same look. He kicked Kass in the face, and six of the swords flew into Kass, who roared angrily.

Grey snatched the seventh sword and flew through the rain at Kass, stabbing the sword through him. Lightning lit up the sky and thunder boomed. Kass slammed into the ground, while Grey landed gracefully. He approached the bloody Eyrie, sighing sadly.

"Have you givin up, now, Billius?" he asked. Kass smiled wickedly. "I-I-I'm... not done yet..." Suddenly, he hurled his sword at the defenseless Jeffory. Grey's eyes widened. There was no way he could stop the sword in time. Not unless... Grey threw his sword after his enemy's. For a few agonizing seconds, he was afraid he was too late, but his sword collided with Kass', knocking it off course and saving Jeffory's life.

Grey sighed in relief, but then he felt cold hands around his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Kass had gripped him. "Game over, Adam..." he said, wrenching his neck. Grey fell to the ground, paralyzed. His eyes glazed over. Kass' small chuckles turned into a truly evil cackle. (Anyone who has heard Dan Green's Mephiles the Dark laugh, you'll know what I mean.) Kass began to pound on the paralyzed Draik, laughing maniacally. When he was done, Grey looked almost as bad as Jack did after his battle with the Silver Wing.

Grey groaned slightly, but could do nothing else. "Like I said, you've gotten slow," said Kass, smiling cruelly. It was as if he wanted nothing more then to rip the beaten commander apart.

Kass began to sink into the shadows as thunder boomed and it began to pour. Jeffory somehow managed to painfully drag himself over to the commander. When he got to him, he was on all fours, trying to ignore the pain in his leg.

"Commander...?" he asked softly, he realized his voice was rasping. Grey coughed violently. When he was done, his eyes, which seemed very dim, locked with the Kyrii's. "J-J-Jeffory..." he started, his voice was no more than a whisper. Jeffory nodded, confirming he was listening.

"I'm so-sorry that I-I-I-I could never r-reach you... I'm sorry that I never told you." he said, looking so much older than he was. Jeffory shook his head, "No, _I'm_ sorry. I over-reacted-" Grey cut him off. "You h-h-had every right to b-b- be angry." More coughing. "You have grown so much, Jeffory. I'm proud of-of-of you. Your father and mother would be, too," he spoke softly.

Jeffory could only nod. He knew what was coming, and he knew he couldn't prevent it. "Jeffory, I know you can stop Kass... but don't do anything too reckless." More coughing. "And Jeffory, keep you-y-your friends close..." The Draik's breathing grew rapid, as his eyes lost even more light. Finally, he took his last breath.

Jeffory couldn't believe it. He lost someone else... he could've done something! His vision began to fade him, and he collapsed. Darkness took him, but somehow, he knew he would survive...

**Okay, done. Longest chapter, yet! God, I feel horrible killing my OCs, but this had to be done to progress the plot. One more warning, there will be one more character death, but it is NOT a major character. Peace, LaDude out!**

**(1) At my church, about a month ago, they had us do that dance. I couldn't resist!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's notes.**

**Alright! Here we go, next chapter. Also, I would like to say sorry to all the fans I disappointed by killing Grey. Also remember ONE more character death. So, be prepared. Now let it BEGIN! **

**Also, from now on if anyone has questions about the story/characters and/or update times, please put them in your review and I will respond at the end of the next chapter. This also means I'm replying to reviews in general. And please do not think I am doing this to bribe for reviews, I just saw other authors doing it in their stories and I thought it would be fun.**

**Disclamer. I, LaDude, do NOT own Neopets or any of the places in this story. Some places are exceptions, and my characters themselves. Why the heck do I have to do this, anyway?**

**Defenders of Neopia, chapter 12: Pondering, and decision.**

Jeffory awoke in a dark void. It was silent. No one was with him. He looked around, scanning every little area with his eyes, just to make sure something wouldn't sneak up on him. Then, he saw something in the distance. He couldn't quite make it out, so he cautiously approached it.

As he drew closer, a voice called out to him. A deep, wicked voice, that made the fur on the back of his neck satnd up.

**Jeffory... that's it! Come... to me. **It spoke, slowly and temptingly. Like a spider would to a fly, inviting it to its doom.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Jeffory bravely asked the voice, who had evil written all over it. **Want from you? Silly boy. I AM you. I'm inside you.** "Inside me...?" ** That's right. There are others like me, too... I am your De- **The voice was cut off, as the dream abruptly ended.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory woke with a start, looking wildly around the room. His vision slowly returned to him, and he looked around. He was laying in a warm bed, and he saw white walls around him. He slowly realized that he was in the infirmary. He groaned, the pain from earlier coming back to him. _Wait, earlier? What happened earlier?_ he thought to himself. The memories hit him like a bullet.

Kass had killed Grey. Kass had hurt his friends, quite possibly killed them. If that was the case, WHY was he still alive?_ I shouldn't be alive. It was MY fault! I should take the blame!_ Jeffory placed his head in his hands, slowly sinking into depression, when a loud snort snapped him out of his reverie. He knew that snore... Was it?

He turned, and sure enough, laying in the bed to his right was Jack! He looked... surprisingly well! His arm was in a cast, and he was in striped pajamas. Jeffory was impressed that the nurse cared enough about her patients comfort to let them have their own pajamas.

Jeffory was going to get out of his bed, when he realized his broken leg was in traction. There was no way he could get out of bed if his leg was practically connected to the ceiling. He scanned the room for any others of his group, and saw Hunter sleeping peacefully. How had he not noticed them before? Was he too caught up in his own self-pity? He put these thoughts aside, and scanned Hunter's condition.

The Kougra's shirt was off, and his torso was covered by a bandage wrapped around it.

He sighed once again in relief. But... where was Kendra? Jeffory knew that if a Magic User suffered from magic over-exertion they could die from exhaustion, as magic can take your life force if used too frequently. But, if treated quickly, they could be fixed up before the more... unfortunate event happened.

But what if the point they're using magic FROM is snapped in half? Would they be dead in an instant...? Jeffory hoped and prayed that wasn't the case. His mind became plagued with images of the previous night. Kass had failed in taking Jeffory's life, but at the cost of Grey's.

Jeffory still remembered the pain that was on the older Draik's face before he perished. Jeffory's guilt practically taunted him. He could swear he heard that gruff, hateful voice from before, speaking to him, somewhat faint in the back of his mind.

_It's your fault, Jeffory. You always get in the way, and then people die because of you. You know that if you hadn't been around, your parents would've made it back to their home. But no, they stayed behind to find their precious son. And if you weren't around Sam wouldn't be at the hands of a murderer. Oh, shame on you. And let's not forget dear old Grey... _that wretched voice taunted.

Jeffory slumped back in his bed, crushed. He thought more and more about that voice. It said it was inside him-correction-WAS him. If that was true, why hadn't he noticed it sooner, heard its taunts clearly? Well, most of the time, he was thinking terrible thoughts to himself.

Wait a minute! Those horrible, painful thoughts, they suddenly matched the things he heard in his head a mere few minutes before! It all makes sense. The voice, the taunts, the rage, the dream. Those wicked thoughts of ripping Kass to tiny little shreds... The voice had been there all along, but when he heard those thoughts he had been too busy wallowing away in his own self-pity.

He hated that.

He hated people who spend all their time pitying themselves. It was pathetic. He hated the fact that HE was that exact person. Jeffory soon realized that he said what he said about people and their self-pity, to take his own loathing off of himself. And THAT was pathetic.

"I've been a real ba*****..."

He muttered under his breath. He then realized another thing he hated. He REALLY hated that the freakin' THING that had been toying with his emotions, and slowly ripping his faith to shreds, had helped him realize how terrible a human being he had been. Even if, on the outside, he acted like a saint. Helping all those in need and offering care for those who had lost sight of their faith, when on the inside, he bubbled with hatred, despair and grief.

And the one thing he hated the MOST was that he owed that damnable voice, for helping him to realize that. He groaned, taking in the fact that now that he knew about the voice would make his life a living hell. Well, more so then it tended to be. Resting his head on the pillow, he thought about what to do. He dared not go back to sleep, unless he WANTED that voice to tear him apart.

He groaned. His heart was aching with worry for Kendra. He hadn't known her for THAT long, but he had begun to care for her like a little sister. And anything that happened to her, he would feel endless guilt. As he thought about that, he wondered where her "relationship" with Jack would take her. He wondered if the two REALLY cared for eachother or if it was simply a crush.

To answer that question, Jack stirred in his sleep and muttered " 'Endraaa... safe..."

Jeffory chuckled, realizing how stupid his question seemed. Of course they cared about each other! It was so painfully obvious. Heck, even the NURSE had thought they were together!

After that, he began to feel sleepier than before. He tried desperately to stay awake but. in the end, failed.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

That night, Jeffory was blessed with a dreamless sleep. Said Kyrii awoke the next morning feeling more refreshed than he had in a long time. The sunlight pouring in from the window made him scrunch his eyes up, adjusting to the morning light. He yawned stretching out his stiff arms.

He looked around the room, once again and saw Jack getting up. "Jack!" he called to the drowzy Mynci. Said Mynci looked around sleepily before turning to the Kyrii. "Jeffory! You're not dead!" he responded happily, making the Kyrii roll his eyes.

"Good to see you, too. Now, go get the Nurse, so she can take me out of this flippin' cast," he told the Mynci, who chuckled before stumbling out the door. Jeffory also noticed Hunter stirring. "Where am... I?" he muttered to himself. "Jeffory!" he called excitedly seeing the Kyrii.

"Hunt, you're okay!" Jeffory said, feeling ecstatic. Still, he wished Kendra was here to join the reunion.

Soon, Jack returned with Nurse Amanda, who was lecturing the Mynci about being out of bed too soon. "Yeah, yeah..." Jack muttered over her ranting. "Jeff wants his leg out of traction," he told the Nurse simply.

Amanda grumbled before reaching into her uniform pocket and pulling out a remote. She quickly pushed it, making the cast unwrap itself from Jeffory's foot and retract into the ceiling, making his leg fall onto the bed with a thump. God, he was glad that his leg was no longer broken-thank God for healing potions! It was still sore, though.

He climbed out of bed and stumbled, slightly. Jack steadied him, chuckling. "You alright, Jeff?" he asked with a grin. Jeffory nodded. righting himself. He thanked the nurse, who nodded. Then a look of seriousness appeared on Jeffory's face when he asked, "Where's Kendra?"

Jack and Hunter, who had been talking about random things, grew silent as they listened.

Nurse Amanda sighed sadly. "I'm afraid... she's in a coma of sorts," she told them quietly. Jeffory and Hunter shared a look of horror, but not before they noticed the expression of anguish on Jack's face. "W-why- wait. Coma of sorts?" Jeffory asked his voice rising. Amanda sighed, once again.

"Please follow me," she told them curtly, before walking out the door. Jack no less than ran after her, while Jeffory and Hunter followed at a slower pace. The reason being that the latter was still a bit wobbly.

Amanda led them down the hall. Near the end, she stopped suddenly, making Jack almost trip over her. She muttered something that Jeffory couldn't make out, before the wall to their right opened up. She gestured them to follow, and they did. Jeffory wondered what could be so bad that they had to close Kendra in such a secretive place. There was yet another locked door with steel bars over it, and a shelf to their left.

Amanda, being a Kiko which are short, asked Jack to take something off the shelf. When he did, the nurse took it from his hand. It was a bottle of sorts with a spray nozzle. She said, "Open your mouths." and they did as she said. The nurse spritzed the liquid into their mouths, making them gag. Jeffory didn't know what it tasted like, but it was HORRID.

Over their wretching sounds, Amanda said something about protecting them from over-exposure of magic. Neopians who didn't have magic in their genes can fall ill from such over-exposure. The door was unlocked, and they stepped into the room.

The second they walked in, they were hit by a blast of heat. Jack wiped sweat off his brow, and gasped. On the other side of the room, lying on the bed was Kendra. She looked to be asleep, but if she was, it was a fitful rest.

She was glowing a multitude of different colors. Like a rainbow. Jack was at her side in an instant. He sat down on the chair at her bedside, and grabbed a hold of her hand.

Jeffory's ears drooped, as did Hunter's. Amanda chose that moment to speak up. "She's in a magician's coma since that night a week ago." Jeffory looked at her. "A WEEK? I was out that long?" he asked. He had thought he had only been out for around a couple hours, but he was wrong. "Wait, Mag-you know she's a Magic User!" asked Jack.

Amanda nodded. "And before you ask, I will not tell anyone," she told them before they opened their mouths. Jeffory wanted to know about this coma, though.

He looked at Hunter for information about the Magician's coma, he wasn't disappointed. "A magician's coma is when a Magic User's point of magic is damaged during a duel. The damaged Neopian is placed into a comatose state. It's like a normal coma, except that the Neopian's magic goes haywire and being unconcious makes it impossible for them to control it. Hence the heat. If she doesn't wake up, she'll be in a coma forever, or her abilities will... destroy her from inside." Hunter finished his long-winded explanation with a weak sigh.

Jack's head snapped up, and he ran over to Nurse Amanda, knocking his chair over in the process. "Is there ANYTHING we can do? A cure, a-a an herb? Anything?" he asked frantically.

The group's hopes were dashed when Amanda shook her head. "I'm afraid all we can do is pray, and hope." Jack growled, kicking the wall and recoiling in pain. Jeffory put a hand on his shoulder and patted it reassuringly. "Jack, we'll fix this," he promised.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Jeffory was in his dorm as he strapped his sword to his back, and stuffed Emma's dagger into his pocket. It was 2:00 AM and the Kyrii had made his decision. He was going to confront Kass, and take him out. Alone.

He slowly snuck past Hunter's snoring form, and Jack. Who was curled up under the sheets. He looked back at them before muttering, "Thank you," under his breath before closing the door and walking to the elevator. He would've brought his friends like they had planned, but Kendra was out of commision, and he didn't want to put Jack and Hunter in danger. The former he didn't want to take away from Kendra, anyway.

As the elevator reached the bottom floor, he stepped out and walked out of the academy.

After trekking for awhile towards the city of Brightvale, he noticed two figures waiting for him at the entrance to the gate.

Jack and Hunter grinned before walking up to him. "What'ya up to?" asked Jack cheekily. Jeffory muttered a curse under his breath. He should've known they would expect this. "Why did you guys come out here?" Jeffory muttered to them. Hunter sighed, "We knew you would try to face Kass yourself. We're not letting you go alone. 'We WILL get to the space station' I said. I promised, and I'm a Kougra of my word," said Hunter. Jeffory asked, "How were you snoring?"

Hunter grinned, "Thank goodness for voice recorders. Jack's form was pillows, as was mine," he explained.

"But, Jack... Why aren't you staying with Kendra?" asked Jeffory. Jack chuckled. "I could. But if I did that, and let you go face him alone, I'd lose TWO of the most important people in my life," said Jack truthfully. Jeffory couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "And also, if you went and got killed... Kendra, if she does... move on, would have sacrificed herself to fight with us for no reason. I'm NOT letting that happen." Jeffory smiled. He knew that was a part of it.

"You guys, thank you," he told them, making them smile and nod. "Now c'mon. Let's drop the mushiness, and go kick some a**!" cried Jack excitedly, making the others laugh.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

And so, here they were. Walking through a vast field, in the middle of nowhere. Oh, the joys of wandering hopelessly! Jeffory sighed, as he wiped sweat off of his brow. "This... isn't getting us ANYWHERE!" he growled in frustration. Jack was trailing behind, on his hands and knees, wailing about water and Hunter was wobbling slightly.

The Kyrii sighed. They were trying to return to Meridell, but to do that, they had to cross the sea. And to do that, they had to find a city with a ship to cross the Great Sea... "Hunter, can I see the map?" Jeffory asked the panting Kougra, who nodded and reached into his pocket with his tail.

Jeffory took the map and scanned it. They were in the middle of the Fairy Fields; it was named this for having Faerieland towering in the sky above. If they went southwest, they would eventually be in the Lost Desert. After that, they would swim a short distance and end up in Altador. They could rest there, and then they would scale the cliffs of Shenkuu.

Once there, they would enter the city and board a ship that would take them to Meridell. Not complicated at all, right?

Jeffory explained the plan to his friends-Jack wailed about walking; they ignored him-and the team of misfits continued their journey.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

Heat. That was the only thing on a certain Kyrii's mind at the moment. Jack grumbled about being in the middle of nowhere, while Hunter scanned the horizon for enemies. Jeffory plopped to the ground on his back and watched the clouds roll by.

Somewhere up past the clouds, Kass awaited. Sam at his mercy. Jeffory then noticed that stinkin' voice wasn't harassing him. Well... _You miss me? _asked the voice, making Jeffory growl, "Zip it, Jerkface." Jack, who had been whining again, shut up instantly. Jeffory rolled his eyes. "Not you, Jack. Well actually, do zip it," he finished with a grin, making Jack glower at him.

Jeffory looked across the sand dunes of the Lost Desert. "This isn't right. We're lost!" he groaned, kicking the sand and coughing as it formed a cloud. Jack sighed, taking the water canteen off his hip and taking a long drink.

"Don't take it all! I want water, too!'' cried Hunter frantically. Jack stopped and sighed, "Ahhh, that was good." Hunter snatched the canteen out of the Mynci's hand and holding it above his head. A tiny droplet of water came out, splashing onto his forehead.

Hunter stood there in the same position comically, before dropping to the ground and wailing. Jack rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "Hoo, oops..." Hunter stopped, and tackled Jack screaming, "You finished the water, you moron!" The two rolled around, beating the crap out of each other.

Jeffory saw something on the horizon. It looked like an oasis! "Guys, look!" he called to the wailing Kougra and Mynci. Hunter was screaming like a banshee as Jack held him in a headlock.

They stopped instantly in humorous positions. Hunter's paw was extended as though he was going to claw Jack's eyes out, while the Mynci still had him in a headlock. Jack socked Hunter one last time in the eye for good measure.

Jeffory pointed to the heavenly sight. They all looked at each other with wide grins. Then, in an instant, they forgot about their "macho" thing, and ran towards the oasis squealing like little girls.

Jeffory's legs protested with each and every step, but he didn't care. Soon they would be in water, relaxing and... all that awesome vacation stuff.

Once they got there, Jack sprang towards the water and dived in. He began swimming in it, laughing in delight. The other two joined him gleefully.

Soon, they realized that the water was oddly... dry and itchy... and sandy. They slowly came to their senses. They were swimming in sand.

To say they were upset would have been the understatement of the century. "WHYYYYYYYYYYY! WHY, CRUEL WORLD! DO YOU HATE ME?" wailed Jack, shaking his fists at the sky. Jeffory's ears drooped. He should have known it was too good to be true.

Hunter was shaking the sand off his body, sitting down and scratching himself like a dog. Jeffory did notice a rock structure, and they decided they would camp their for the night.

D.O.N. D.O.N. D.O.N.

"And then, sitting in the corner, they saw... the SCISSORS!" Jeffory and Hunter jumped, as Jack yelled the last part.

The team was sitting around the campfire, telling scary stories. Jack was telling them about a story of mutated scissors that hunted prey, and would... well, you get the idea.

As they prepared to go to sleep, Jeffory saw something in the distance that he had not noticed earlier. Hunter looked at him. "Wanna check it out?" he asked, full well knowing the answer. Jeffory nodded. Hunter rolled his eyes.

"I've got to get a closer look, anyway! That might be..." he trailed off. Jeffory nodded. "Let's do it."

**Ok, all done. Next chapter, Lunar Ruins! The second to last "dungeon" of the story. Please R&R! Happy new year, everyone!**

**Anouncements **

**Jeffory has a different voice. Bryce Pappenbrook. Zidane. FF Dissidia.**

**Hunter has a new voice. Jason Spisak. Bartz Kluaser. FF Dissidia. **

**Question of this chapter.**

**If Neopets made another videogame, would you want it to be childish, whimsical-like, sort of like Puzzle Quest, or fantasy-action like Darkest Fairy? **

**LaDude out!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yo, yo, yo! Whassup! I have returned to you from the dark depths of the abyss, to bring you a new chapter! (Well actually, not the abyss.) But in my opinion, the dark world of writer's block is as good as!**

**Jack: You are sad.**

**Dude: Don't make me kill off your girlfriend!**

**Jack: *silence***

**Dude: That's better! On with the show!**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 13: The City of Moonlight, Lunar Ruins.**

"I knew it! The Lunar Ruins!" cried Hunter in delight, jumping up and down.

Jeffory looked at him. "You know about this place?" he asked, not exactly surprised. Next to him, Jack rolled his eyes. "Jeff, that's a stupid question. Of course he knows about the place!" he snapped. Jeffory ignored him.

Hunter took this as cue to start explaining. "This place used to be home to the race known as the Moon Folk." "Moon Folk?" repeated Jack. "Moon Folk," Hunter confirmed. "They only came out when the moon was high in the sky. They drew power from it, giving them strength to live."

"But, they could only be seen by young souls." Hunter explained. Jeffory tilted his head. "But if only young souls could see it, how could the adults that discovered them see?" he asked, perplexed. Hunter continued. "A young soul is inside the people who are undecided with their course in life. Basicaly, a 99 year old man could see them, IF he hadn't truly found his path in life,'' the Kougra explained.

Jeffory looked up at the huge temple in front of them. The thought of something existing but only being seen by people lost in life was a bit unnerving... "So, we are set to find our path?" asked Jack. Hunter nodded. "Well, we don't have all night. Let's go," ordered Jeffory.

"This is creepy," Jack told them obviously. Jeffory glared at him, "Thank you, Captain Obvious..." Though it was pretty creepy. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and anything else they could get to. Skeletons were laying on the ground and up against the walls. Blood stains covered the areas near them. Not to mention the place was in ruins.

Also, the only light was coming from a couple lights in the ceiling, and dim torches on the walls... Or what was left of them, anyway. Hunter was studying every nook and cranny, spewing out fun facts about everything he saw. Jack was tempted to punch the Kougra. Hunter was one of his best friends, and he was glad the Kougra enjoyed this kinda thing, but he wished he would SHUT UP.

"Hey guys, look at this!" Jeffory called, from ahead. He was examining an old scroll. The scroll looked like it had been there since a very long time ago. Maybe a thousand years... or more.

He sat down on a nearby piece of rubble, and read.

Jeffory tried to make out what was written, but it was incredibly hard to do so. He squinted his eyes, and scrunched up his nose in concentration. It looked like it had been written hastily.

_My... ast note. I ha...ost all my m...n. I am wr...ng this as a w...g to any who find th..s place._

_Leave this place as f... as po...le! The kind race kn...n as 'Moon...olk, have chan...d. They are hunting me as I wr...te..is. Corru...d, is what they have become. If you see a...t RUN! I left a..., in the city's ce...r. If you are willing..._

The note ended there. "Willing to do what? What did you leave?" grumbled the Kyrii, in confusion. And what about the Moon Folk? It looked like it said "corrupted" to him. At that moment, Jack and Hunter walked over to him.

Jeffory turned around, and handed Jack the scroll. "Check it out." Jack did as he was told and his eyes quickly scanned the writing, making weird faces at certain lines, as he attempted to make out what exactly it said. Behind him, Hunter was investigating some of the rubble.

"Jeff, look! I found - " the Kougra trailed off as he shoved his head into the debris, pulling something out " - a map!" he finished happily. Jeffory took the map out of the Kougra's mouth.

"Now we're in business! Okay, we are... in the shopping district." Jeffory scanned their surroundings. "Or what's left of it. If we go straight, we'll find the city's center..."

And so, it went like that. They wandered through the city in hopes of finding the center soon.

Jeffory sighed. They were getting tired, and he was worried about that warning. What did it mean exactly? If you see a WHAT? "This is getting stupid..." Jeffory heard Jack mutter.

Jeffory could hardly disagree. The map of the place was when the city WASN'T in ruins. The structures they could use as landmarks were no longer around. Therefore, they had to use their instincts, which never got them anywhere.

Jeffory was sure the scroll said "If you see light," but why the heck would they beware of light? That was stupid! Or was it...? Jeffory shook these thoughts out of his head. "It's probably just a ghost story..." he muttered.

They continued for several minutes before they came across a large tunnel. They exchanged weary glances. Was it a good idea to go through the tunnel? They could be jumped at any time... Hunter and Jack gave Jeffory an encouraging nod, silently telling him they would back whatever decision he made. However, there was still the matter of not being able to see anything.

Jeffory came up with a plan. Being men (not really), they wouldn't want to hold hands; that was just embarrassing. They would hold each other's tails instead. That way, they could stay together without feeling unmanly(1). They slowly walked into the tunnel, the tails gripped tightly, with Jeffory in the lead. He was followed by Jack, then Hunter.

Before long, they made their way out of the tight, dark place. Although, Jeffory could've sworn he heard footsteps that were not his or his team's. Whoever it was, they shuffled like they were dragging their feet. But more importantly, Jeffory felt like they were being watched.

As they exited the dark room, they found themselves on a wide path. The path was long and it spiraled for about a mile before ending at a large circular space. The room itself seemed to float above the unseeable ground below. The walls, if there were any, were very far away, giving the room an empty feel. Jeffory and his friends could hear wind coming from the chasm below.

Behind Jeffory, Jack was dangerously close to the edge, peering over it. "How far down do you think it goes?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. Hunter shrugged. "I don't know. Judging by the fact that we can hear wind AND feel a breeze, I'd say about... nineteen thousand cubits below us."

Once again, Hunter's friends were baffled by the "language" he used. At their blank expressions, Hunter said, "Very, very far," making them nod. "Well, best get moving," Jeffory told them.

So they walked. It had only been about five minutes, and they were making no progress. Jack decided to ask a stupid question. "So, if we tried to climb down, if there was anyhting supporting this platform, how long would it take to reach the bottom?" he asked.

"About three seconds, if we jumped," said Jeffory simply, making Hunter snigger, and Jack's face pale.

"Hey, listen to this. HELLO!" shouted Jack, into the darkness, making his voice echo off the empty walls. Unfortunately, the loud sound seemingly made the room shake, and rumble loudly. The group dropped to their knees, so they wouldn't lose their balance and tumble off the edge to a messy demise. Over the rumbling, Hunter glared at Jack. "What the hell did you DO!" he shouted, making Jack chuckle nervously.

Jeffory looked up, and gasped. The ceiling was collapsing! In large chunks, it came tumbling down; some of it came in smaller chunks. "RUN!" he shouted to his friends, who nodded and started running like hell.

Jeffory leapt over a piece of rubble that came down in front of him, and rolled under one that almost crushed him. Hunter, who was behind him, jumped onto a falling piece of debris and hopped to the next closest piece, and so on. He landed back on the platform.

Jack did a limbo under a thin piece of debris, slid under another, and used his tail to grab onto that piece and propel forward.

By the time they had reached the circular platform, the rumbling had stopped. They all dropped to their knees, panting heavily. Hunter glared at Jack. "'LISTEN TO THIS! ECHO!" he shouted, making Jack jump. Jeffory saw an old tripod laying on the ground. Behind him, Jack once again had Hunter in a headlock.

Jeffory ignored the two, as he examined the floor. It was glowing, in a pattern shaped like a half moon. It looked like it had been carved in, and was glowing a pale blue. He arched a brow. Something was weird about this. Why was this symbol glowing like this? He lowered himself to his knees, and began to absent-mindedly trace the symbol. As he traced, his hand came to a slight bump. It was a loose stone.

That got his attention. He nudged it with his foot, and it moved slightly. "Guys, shut up for a minute and give me a hand!" he called to the bickering duo, who turned to face him, momentarily forgetting about their frustrations with the other. With the duo's help, Jeffory managed to lift the heavy tile-like stone.

Placing it to the side, he reached into the newly-made hole and pulled out something. Getting an idea, the teen ran past the Myncy and Kougra and picked up the tripod adjusting the video camera, he hoped it still worked.

For one reason or another, it did. There were several videos that all contained a strange-looking Lenny. His eys were very... large, almost like a bug. Jeffory arched a brow yet again before glancing at the remote.

He tossed it to Hunter, who looked more than eager to examine it. He caught it in his tail and looked it over, muttering inaudibly to himself, while Jeffory and Jack sat down for a break.

After about three minutes, Hunter finished his consistent babbling and said simply, "It's an old remote. I think it was left here to play something..." he muttered. Jack snatched the remote, pushing the first button he saw and ignoring the protests of the angry Kougra. The camera made an odd sound. Something along the lines of an old door creaking open, and an even older car engine trying to start up.

Once it was done, a video began to play on the tiny screen. The image was very fuzzy and made an obnoxious buzzing sound. Jeffory was vaguely reminded of that time at the orphanage when the TV refused to start, causing an uproar from the children who wanted to watch their afternoon shows. The buzzing stopped, getting Jeffory's attention back, as an image of a middle-aged Lenny appeared on the screen. It was the same Lenny from those other videos. He was wearing an explorer's outfit that was torn all over; it had been brown, but was now covered in blood stains, and it looked like it hadn't been washed in ages. The matching hat looked about the same.

The Lenny's face was bruised; it looked like he had been punched over and over. His left eye was swollen shut while his other eye was cloudy and tearing, and his beak was bent in an odd way. He looked like something had unleashed its fury on him. Could this Lenny be the one who wrote a warning about the Moon Folk?

Jeffory was taken out of his reverie when the Lenny spoke. "Arnold P. Leslie: log number five. I... found the lost civilisation...!" His voice was raspy and his breathing was ragged, almost strangled. Even so, he continued.

"Al...though, it is bitter sweet... All my men were wiped out. Mercilessly ripped to... pieces. I fear I'm next..." He glanced around quickly as a low growl rumbled through the room, bouncing off the walls.

Leslie's eyes widened in horror as he whispered, "They're coming..." The growls grew louder and more frequent with each passing second. Leslie looked back to the camera and began to speak quickly. "They told me I was a fool! But all along I knew I was right! Whoever is watching this, I implore you: take this recording to the Research center on Kaiser Island! Clear my name, prove I'm no fraud!" The Lenny screeched these instructions out, and his eyes grew crazy as it appeared that began to lose focus. It was as if he was losing his sanity with each passing second.

The boys jumped as a terrible snarl sounded, and Leslie shrieked as he was pulled to the ground by an unseen force. The sound of flesh-tearing filled the room, and the screeches of pain only grew louder. The camera fell over with a thud. Before the picture was cut off, Jeffory caught a glimpse of a creature that glowed with a blue light mauling the explorer.

The trio stared at the screen with terrified expressions. They snapped out of it when the growls began this time outside the recording. They looked around frantically, seeing nothing. Jack stopped as he saw a faint glowing come from above. He looked up at the remains of the ceiling and saw the same creature from the video.

It let out a screech and pushed a large piece of rubble off the ceiling. The rubble landed to the team's left. Jeffory muttered, "Jack, grab the camera..." The Mynci did so and began to back up. Jeffory gripped the remote and gulped. The creature began to crawl down the side of the wall, like a spider. It was a humanoid shape with scales and souless black eyes. More growls. There were more, and they were surrounding them.

Suddenly, the first creature leapt from its position on the wall, heading straight for the Defenders-in-training. Thinking fast, Jeffory pulled the sword off his back and slashed the thing across the face. It shrieked as it bled and launched backwards off the platform.

No time to celebrate. Jack shouted, "RUN!" and they ran as if the devil himself was chasing them.

**Okay, that's it. CLIFFHANGER! Sorry for the LONG delay. Wasn't able to use my mom's computer. But! I now own my own computer, meaning updates will be much more frequent! R&R please! LaDude out.**

**(1) We men have our pride!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys, this is my first update on my brand new laptop! Yay! So this is it. About four or five chapters left, and this story comes to a close.**

**Defenders of Neopia: chapter 14: Strange happenings.**

Running for your life was exactly as hard as it sounds. They had made it out of the spiraling room, and were close to the exit. Several times, Jeffory had tripped over Hunter's tail, forcing him to push ahead as to not be slowed down by his blunders.

The creatures, whom Hunter pinpointed as the Moon Folk, were some of the fastest creatures that the team had ever faced. They had lightning-fast reflexes, and were hard to kill, even if Jack got a direct hit on them.

Jack continuously shot blasts over his shoulder, missing in his haste. As they turned a corner, one of the Moon Folk managed to catch up, and tackled Hunter to the ground. They rolled across the floor with several grunts of pain. Once they landed, the monster had Hunter pinned, and it bit into his shoulder. "OUCH!" the Kougra hollered, flailing around.

Jeffory struck with precision and ferocity, lobbing the creature's arm off. The Moon Folk shrieked and fell off of the flailing Kougra. Hunter was off the ground in an instant, but yelped and collapsed due to his injury.

Jeffory turned around and picked up Hunter. Slinging the wounded Kougra over his shoulder, he called to Jack, "Cover the rear! If they catch up, we're toast!"

Jack nodded and ushered his friend forward. Within seconds, he was gunning down monster after monster. "EAT PLASMA, ALIEN SCUM!" he shouted.

Jeffory adjusted Hunter on his shoulders and began running. Hunter constantly protested, but Jeffory ignored him. "Almost there! Keep it up, Jack!" he called. Jack responded with a cry of "WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING!"

Jeffory could see the exit! The Moon Folk were gaining, though. Jack tripped and landed on his face. The monsters wasted no time in jumping on him. "Jack, hold on!"

From the midst of the mass of glowing beasts, random blasts of plasma arose. The blasts hit the ceiling, causing debris to fall. Jeffory muttered, "That's bad..." He placed Hunter on the ground, leaning him against the wall. "Hang in there, buddy..." he murmured as he turned to rescue the shouting Mynci. He noticed, though, how pale Hunter was turning.

In an instant, Jeffory was in the fray, hacking through the Moon Folk. The problem was that no matter how many limbs they lost, they kept kicking. Literally. One, which had lost its upper half, continued attacking Jeffory and Jack with its feet.

Jeffory sliced its left leg off, causing it to fall onto another Moon Folk, knocking that one over causing a domino effect. The future Defenders watched the comical result for a second, before returning to their senses. Fortunately, Jack hadn't been bitten, and wasn't suffering Hunter's condition.

More and more Moon Folk were pouring into the room. There was no end!

Jeffory climbed over the mass of humanoids, and ran to Hunter, picking him up. "JACK! WE'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!" he shouted over the roars of agony of the Moon Folk. Jack shot another blast over his shoulder as he jumped over a lunging Moon Folk.

They made a mad dash to exit. Almost there... _If we don't put an end to these guys here, they'll only continue to follow us! What do we do?_ Jeffory thought to himself, adjusting Hunter once again. Jack answered that question, by shooting at one of the support pillars. It began to crumble, taking the roof with it.

Jeffory leapt through the exit; Jack followed. They landed with a thud on the soft sand. Hunter had fallen off Jeffory's shoulders and landed in front of the door. Jack reached in and grabbed the Kougra's tail, yanking him out of the ruins. The ruins began to collapse before their eyes.

One last Moon Folk leapt out of the door, avoiding being crushed by the remains, unlike its companions. Jeffory slashed its head off, it's blue blood splashed across the sand, and his shirt. Its body landed with a thud. Jeffory leapt onto it, stabbing it through the heart, ending its life.

They stayed in that position, panting heavily. All time seemed to stop as they once again defied their fate. Jeffory slowly climbed off the foul-smelling monster. He collapsed onto his back next to his friends. Next to him, Hunter let out a gasp. "What's up?" asked Jack. "The pain's gone! As soon as that Moon Folk that bit me died, my energy came back... The wound's even gone." To prove his point, he showed them his shoulder. The hole that had been there was now gone.

Jeffory's eyes widened. "What in the world...?" Hunter shrugged. "I'll have to look into it after we beat Kass." Jeffory looked at him. How could he be so sure? How could he be so positive that they would defeat Kass? Did he even know what it meant to defeat him? Kass would _have_ to _die_. Did he really understand?

Jack seemed to notice he was deep in thought, so he said, "C'mon Jeff. We know what we're getting into. And we _know_ that we're going to win." Jeffory couldn't help but genuinely smile. "Thanks, guys."

The trio decided to get as far from the desert as possible before settling in for the night.

"Okay, so I think the Moon Folk that bit me sucked my energy, and then when it died, the energy it had returned to its rightful owner. Like the bite never happened!"

Jeffory and Jack sighed. Hunter was on a theory crisis again. This time it was about the Moon Folk bite. To be honest, Jeffory didn't give a flying hoot about _how_ Hunter healed so quickly, he was just glad that he_ did_.

Jack's opinion, on the other hand, was more vocal.

"Oh, will you just SHUT UP!" His shout silenced the Kougra. For a second. "Anyway..." Hunter continued rambling. Jack looked ready to cry.

The Lost Desert continued for ages, so it seemed. The honest truth? They had been walking for an hour and a half. Fortunately, it was nightime, so they didn't have the sun beating down on them.

Jeffory checked his watch. 2:30am, it read. He sighed. He, like the other two, was exhausted. Between walking through the desert for hours, exploring the _huge_ Lunar Ruins, running for their lives through the entire ruins again, and the additional walking they were doing now, it was a miracle they hadn't collapsed right then and there.

Jeffory decided to strike up conversation with Hunter, snapping him out of "Nerd Mode."

"Do you think," he lowered his voice as Jack walked ahead, "that Jack and Kendra are getting together in the future?" he asked. Hunter grinned. "Probably. But you never know. Maybe it's just a crush that will fade eventually." He shrugged. "I mean, they're complete opposites. Kendra's quiet and tactical, while Jack is loud and brash."

To prove his point, Jack tripped over a rock buried under the sand, landed on his face, then got up and kicked it. He then began jumping up and down in pain, having hurt himself in his retaliation.

Jeffory nodded. "You're right. They are extremely different. But they're also similar."

Hunter nodded. "Right. They're both loyal, and brave. They both have bright futures, and they both can put up a good fight. Not to mention they are both kind in their own ways."

Jeffory chuckled, thinking about their radically different acts of kindness. Kendra would talk to someone who was hurting, cry with them, and do what she could to make said person feel better.

And Jack instead would beat whoever upset them to a pulp, and say, "All better!" When you think about it Jack would fit in the category of a fierce friend.

"Hunter, did you ever like anyone?" he asked with a sly grin. Hunter chuckled. "Well there was this friend I had. She was really pretty. She was a Peophin. We were sort of a couple, if you could call it that. We were always together."

Jack, who had stopped his hopping in pain, slowed down to listen.

"She had asthma. She wasn't into tech stuff like me, but she was really good at it. Anyway, it was five years ago."

"We went to the library. We practically lived there. The librarian, Ms. Arnold, let us go in any time we wanted. Except the back room. It was really dark back there and dusty, it hadn't been cleaned in ages. I wasn't thinking. I made her come with me..." Hunter stopped, as he looked like he was in pain.

He took a deep breath and continued.

"I found the book I was looking for. As I was scanning the cover, she collapsed. She was having an asthma attack..."

Hunter bit back a sob.

"She forgot her inhaler. Ms. Arnold heard me calling for help, and she called an ambulance."

Hunter's voice was cracking, and his eyes were tearing up.

"They got her to the hospital, but... she didn't make it..." Hunter finished.

Jack and Jeffory were silent. What Jeffory couldn't understand was how such a lighthearted conversation could become so depressing. He had just been hoping to poke fun at Hunter. They continued like that for awhile, walking in silence.

Soon, they saw three large rocks forming an arch. On the other side, it was very lush and somewhat overgrown. The path from there became very steep, making them push themselves up the hill.

They came to a cliff. The area they were in looked like a pincer, surrounded by water. They would have to swim in-between the "pincer" to avoid being swept off to the surrounding ocean. In the distance, they could see Altador.

"Pincer Canyon," Hunter spoke in a monotone. "There are some sea caves we can go through. They'll take us to Altador's cove..."

Jeffory sat down. "We'll sleep here for the night."

And so, they layed down to sleep. Hunter, who had been solemn for awhile, said nothing and turned his back to his friends. Jeffory and Jack shared concerned looks before laying down.

"I WON'T GO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" wailed Hunter looking into the blue water. They were overlooking Pincer Canyon, and Hunter was a wreck. Jack currently had him in a headlock, and Hunter was screaming like a banshee as he tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

Jeffory was more concerned about the height of the cliff. They would have to dive into the river below. _Perhaps_, he thought,_ this isn't such a good idea._ He absently noticed Hunter break free of the Mynci's vice grip and claw his captor on the arm.

"OW! THAT'S IT! Maybe I should go back to Mommy! She'll make it better! Mommy always does!" he wailed, rolling around on the ground.

Jeffory was relieved. He had been worried about Hunter the night before. He had never seen the Kougra so sad. He seemed back to normal now, though. But Jeffory couldn't help but wonder, why had Hunter never said anything before?

To answer his question, Hunter turned to him. "There was something I wanted to tell you both."

Jack stopped rolling and wailing, and Jeffory looked at Hunter.

"I lied. When I said that my parents sent me to the Academy, I lied. I applied to the Academy myself. My parents didn't know anything about it. I had a one more airship other than the one in the garage. It was a prototype. I was reckless."

"I flew it to the outskirts of Brightvale, where it crashed. I slept at the inn, and in the morning went to the Academy." Hunter paused, looking solemn again. "I went to the Academy to become stronger. At the time, I thought if I was stronger, I colud prevent losing people I care about. Maybe sometimes I still feel that way. After I met you guys, I thought maybe, if I really tried.."

"I could be like you guys. I could be a better person. Someone who wasn't foolish. Someone who wouldn't make stupid mistakes like what happened with Mary." He fell silent, waiting for the others to laugh at him. He was surprised, however, when Jeffory placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I think you're doing a pretty good job so far, Hunt," Jeffory said with a grin.

Jack nodded. "Yeah. Sure, you're nerdy and somewhat boring..." Hunter arched a brow. "But, you are my best friend."

Hunter grinned. "Thanks, guys..." he smiled. "Now then..." Jeffory muttered, peering over the edge. Hunter joined him. Behind them, Jack smiled slyly.

"On the count of three," Jeffory said looking at Hunter.

"One..." Jack began to tiptoe behind them.

"Two..." Jack rubbed his hands together.

Hunter muttered, "Two and a half..." Jack grinned.

"THREE!" the Mynci shouted, pushing them both over the edge. They both hollerd loudly as they plummeted into the ice cold water below. "CANNONBALL!" Jack shouted with glee, jumping off after them.

**More fillers, this time. Hunter had some more character development and all that good stuff. So that's chapter fourteen. Next chapter probably won't be as long. Until next time, my friends! LaDude out. **

**You can call me pupLaura: Thanks for reviewing! I'll be sure to check out that site sometime, thanks for telling me about it!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! I'm back with chapter 15! Enjoy!**

**Defenders of Neopia: chapter 15: Cliff diving, revelations and madness.**

They landed in the ocean with a loud SPLASH! Jeffory was the first to surface, gasping loudly. His messy hair covered his face, forcing him to push it out of his eyes.

"Hunter! Where are you?" he called, keeping his head as high above the water as possible. Being in this position reminded him of the start of his adventure.

Behind him, Hunter surfaced. He was shaking like a leaf, and looked like a drowned rat.

"JACK! WHEREVER YOU ARE, I'LL KILL YO-!" Hunter was cut off by water splashing into his mouth, launching him into a coughing fit.

"WHOOHOO!" Jack landed with an even louder splash, if it was even possible, soaking them even further. Jeffory strained his eyes to see forward. in the distance he saw a small spit of land on the left side of the canyon. "Guys! Follow me!"

So they did, swimming their hearts out.

When they reached land, they crawled onto it, exhausted. Hunter looked ready to cry. "I hate water! Almost as much as I hate you right now, Jack!" The Mynci, who was sprawled on his back, raised a hand to wave him off.

Jeffory laid down on the sand, looking skyward. "So tired..." he gasped. Jack responded with a weak groan.

"Who's moronic idea was it to _swim_ to Altador?" the exhausted Kyrii asked.

"Yours," responded Hunter, laying facedown on his stomach.

Jeffory groaned. "Fair enough..." He sighed loudly, when he saw the sky getting grey.

Jack also noticed. "Could this_ get any worse!" _ he asked. To answer that question, the sky seemed to open up, drenching them once again.

Jack blinked, composed himself, and shouted at the sky, "YOU EVIL BLUE MONSTROSITY!" The others paid him no mind, talking amongst themselves. "Hunter, earlier you said sea caves. Where are they?" Jeffory asked, attempting to move his sopping wet hair out of his eyes to no avail. Hunter, who was yowling like an abused cat, stopped and looked at him.

"Well, I don't really know... I just sort of heard it from my teacher," he admitted. Jeffory nodded absently until: "WAIT, WHAAAT?" Jeffory out-shouted Jack. Said Mynci stopped his death threats at the sky to glance at his leader.

The Mynci, still on his hands and knees, crawled over to them, grabbing Jeffory's leg. "Are you SERIOUS! It's raining, it's pouring and we have no where to go!" Jeffory glared at him, noticing that Jack was acting like a koala.

"So what now?" asked Hunter, rolling his eyes at Jack. Jeffory managed to pry Jack off, and sighed. "I'm not sure. We have to get out of this rain, somehow. But..." he walked over to the cliffside, trying in vain to not get hit anymore by the torrential downpour. He crossed his arms leaning against the cliff.

Jack began to sneeze. "Oh, that's just gre-gre-grachoo!" he sneezed loudly, making Hunter jump back. "Geez, say it, don't spray it, Monkey Brain!" snapped Hunter. Jack responded to the Kougra with a sniffle.

Jeffory closed his eyes and thought hard. As a leader, it was his job to take care of his team, his friends. He jumped as he felt the wall vibrate. Jeffory stepped away from the wall, and knocked on the side of the cliff. It sounded... strange. It made a weird sort of echoing sound He slowly moved to the left. Once he stopped he pressed his ear to the cliff and knocked. Again, this sounded different from the other area. It sounded normal. Like it should.

He moved back to the right and knocked on the cliff, once again. It vibrated, when he pressed his hand to it. But it echoed when he knocked It sounded... hollow.

"Jeffory?" Hunter asked. Jeffory jumped with a quick yell. He had been so absorbed in messing with the wall that he had forgotten his team was standing right there.

Jack said, "What the helCHOO! A-are you doing?" asked the Mynci, wiping his nose. Hunter groaned. "Eww..." Jeffory let them finish, then spoke. "Well, this cliff sounds weird. Hunter can you..." The Kougra nodded, as if reading his mind.

He moved to the wall, and knocked on it. "This area- it got soft... Feel this." Jeffory did so. It felt really weird. "When I touched it, it began to vibrate." Hunter's eyes widened.

"Hunt...?" asked Jeffory. Jack, who had wondered why they had gotten so quiet, walked over to them.

Hunter looked at Jeffory. "This area... a Magic User was here. Whoever it was must have used a Physical Illusion Shield. In short, a PIS." Jeffory sniggered. Hunter glared, "Not what it sounds like. Come on, don't you read?" Jeffory and Jack blinked. If this was an anime, Hunter would have sweatdropped.

"Okay, whatever. When a PIS is faced with powerful magic, it vibrates. Then, it begins to melt. Which is what this is doing right now. I'm guessing that the Magic User found a passage here that led to the water caves. He used a PIS to block it off, probably thinking no one would find it. But we did. A PIS is a wall enforced with magic. Any Magic User can make a PIS, but the technique was lost a long time ago. " Jeffory sighed, Hunter was taking forever to get to the point, and he was getting wetter and wetter. "The PIS was enforced by a rock element, and if fire is powerful enough it can melt rock. Jeffory, place your hands on the wall."

Jeffory shrugged, confused, but did what Hunter said. It took a minute, but the wall began to grow softer and softer. Then it vibrated violently. Jeffory was reminded of a massage chair.

"I knew it..." Hunter muttered. Jeffory didn't hear him. The wall was warm and as soft as fabric. "What the hell...?" muttered Jeffory. Hunter looked at Jeffory. "Ram it." Jeffory gave him a blank stare. "Now! While it's weak!" Jeffory raised his hands in surrender and took a couple steps back. With a running start, he leapt at the wall. He expected to hit the wall and maybe break a bone. Instead, he flew right through it as it tore like paper.

He landed on his face, and laid there for a minute. He got up , rubbed his face, and looked at the opening he created. The "rocks" began to fade, then it disappeared. The PIS had been broken. "Alright, Hunter! Explain! What did I just do!"

Hunter ignored him, looking around the passage. It was somewhat narrow and humid. It was also chilly. Still, it beat being in that torrential downpour. At the end was a hole. When Hunter approached it, he saw water almost at the surface. It must have led to the water caves.

Jeffory lost his temper. "Damn it, Hunter! Tell me what's going on! Right NOW!" he roared.

His hands began to tremble. His eyes narrowed and turned completely black, like before the attack on the Academy. When he spoke, his voice was laced with venom and rage. He stalked towards the Kougra, snarling. He outstretched his arm, grabbing the Kougra, who had frozen in fear, by the shirt.

"ANSWER ME!" he raged. Hunter wimpered. "I-I-I-I-!" he gasped as Jeffory's hand clenched around his throat. Jack was upon Jeffory in an instant, in an attempt to restrain the infuriated Kyrii. _What's happening to him! _Jack thought, grabbing Jeffory's shoulder. He used his free arm to seize Jeffory's other arm, successfuly halting his friend from punching Hunter in the face.

Hunter wheezed again, turning blue. Jack shouted, "Jeffory! Stop! You're killing him!" Jeffory momentarily paused. His eyes flashing electric blue, before turning back to pure black. "Jeff, it's us! Calm down! We're your friends!" That did it. As soon as he heard "friends," he stopped strangling the Kougra, who dropped to the ground, gasping.

Jeffory collapsed, his eyes returning to normal. He was panting heavily. Jack let go of him.

"What happened...?" Jeffory asked looking thoroughly confused. Jack's eyes bulged. Did he really not remember losing his temper? It was as if he had been asleep when he went nuts.

"You, uhh...fainted. Y-you were out for a good... erm, ten...minutes...?" Jack lied. Jeffory seemed too out of it to really notice the Mynci was lying through his teeth. "Why is Hunter coughing like that?" Jeffory asked. His voice was getting raspy as a result of his yelling earlier.

Jack lied again. "He was thirsty, so he took a drink from the water over... there." he pointed at the hole filled with water, behind the gasping Kougra. "It uhhh... tasted funny. Right, Hunt?" he asked with a forced laugh. Hunter responded with a loud cough. "See?" asked Jack. Jeffory arched a brow. "You have a water bottle on your belt. Why didn't you give him that?" Jack cursed mentally. "D'oh! Oh, silly me! Haha, slipped my mind, ha...ha...ha?"

Jack cursed in his head again. What was wrong with him? He was a born liar! Except when it came to denying his crush on Kendra. Why was he having trouble now! He passed it off as the cold messing with his head. Pathetic.

"I remember getting angry... and yelling at Hunter, but...?" Jeffory looked to Hunter for an answer. Hunter shook his head at Jeffory. "I don't even think I'm right about my theory. Probably coincidence. The PIS was old, anyway..." he lied. There seemed to be alot of that going on, huh?

Jeffory tried to make it seem less awkward. "That pool of water, think it leads to the sea cave?" he asked the two. Hunter nodded. "Probably. Our magic using friend wouldn't block this off for no reason. I wonder what he was hiding." Hunter responded. Jeffory nodded. "I'll go check it out. If I'm not back in five minutes, I want one of you to dive in after me, got it?" he ordered.

The two nodded, although Hunter's was shaky. He _really_ didn't feel like swimming anytime soon. Jeffory took a deep breath and dived into the narrow pool. He swam as fast as possible to the bottom. The underwater passage was shaped as a large "U." Once Jeffory reached the bottom, the passage curved, forcing him to swim forward. Then it curved again, upward this time, leading him back to the surface.

Jeffory took a deep breath as he surfaced. Thankfully, the narrow pool went all the way through, just as he thought. He swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out. He shook his hair out of his eyes, and scanned the chilly room.

There were many stalagmites, rocks, and whatever else you would expect from a cave. But the interesting part? The stalagmites were made of crystal that shimmered. Jeffory was too mesmerized by their glow to notice the large entrance in the back of the room, leading farther into the sea cave. The water from the pool reflected on the ceiling and walls, making the room look beautifully mysterious.

Jeffory snapped out of his trance when he realized he had been gone longer than he should've. He sighed, glaring at the ice cold water before him, and dived in.

Jeffory had reunited with the waiting Mynci and Kougra, and led them back to the other side of the underwater path... after dragging a kicking and screaming Hunter with them, of course.

They looked around the room before deciding to rest there for awhile. So there they sat, sopping wet and cold. Jeffory felt bad for his team. There was no firewood to make a fire with, and his team was freezing their butts off. He didn't know what to do.

He sighed. Maybe they should have chosen a different leader after all.

_Yes. You are nothing but a screw up,_ said that all too familiar voice.

_Shut up,_ Jeffory snapped in his head.

_It was really fun strangling that nerdy Kougra,_ it responded.

Jeffory winced as he remembered watching that horrible display. He had seen it all along. He had lied to his friends about not remembering anything. He had been taken to the Dark Void once again. After several seconds, he had seen everything from the creature's eyes. Hunter's terrified face. His arm rearing back to slug him. Everything.

He tried to busy his mind with something, anything, to shut out that pestering voice's taunts.

He thought about earlier events. What had Hunter been going on about? Why had Jeffory been able to stop the PIS? He knew exactly what was going on... he was one of the last Magic Users. He had to be. It all made sense. Surviving the fall from the Space Station and not burning up and breaking the PIS. It was useless trying to deny it.

He faintly noticed Jack and Hunter continuing that dang discussion about the hoagie vs. a sub.

He really didn't care. The only thing on his mind right now was the voice. Taunting him once again.

**Alrighty guys! End of chapter 15. Next chapter will be up saturday. 'Til then my friends.**

**R&R please.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi, everyone! I have returned with yet another chapter! Dang, I'm on a roll! *dances the funky chicken* Anyway, on with the show!**

**Defenders of Neopia Chapter 16: More questions and still no answers.**

They stayed in that area for at least an hour. They had hoped their clothes would've dried by now, but no such luck. Jack sighed loudly.

"Out of all the things that we have in this world, why couldn't we have a portable dryer?" he asked, sounding fussy. Hunter glared at him. "You've asked the same question for an entire hour! So either shut up, or I'll make you!" he snapped.

"Will you both just shut up!" snapped Jeffory at the two. It was obvious the members of the Team were in very foul moods at the time. It wasn't even Noon, either!

Jack continued to complain. "It's cold, and wet, and I'm pretty sure I have a cold!" he finished with a loud sneeze. Once again, Hunter told him to 'say it, not spray it!' Jack responded by sneezing again.

Jeffory sighed. They had to find civilization soon, before they went mad. He sighed again, pathetically. They had no food left, and he was hungry. No doubt the other two were as well.

Jeffory stood up. "Alright, we have to get moving. The longer we stay here, the longer it'll be 'til we can eat. Hunter said this path will take us to Altador's shore." He looked to Hunter for confirmation. At Hunter's nod, he continued. "So, we get moving now," he ordered.

They nodded. Jack lightened up at the thought of food, as did Hunter. So, with their hearts set on eating a burger or two, they set off.

Jeffory hoped they wouldn't have to fight any monsters along the way, as their clothes were wet and sticking to their fur, making it difficult to move.  
_

As they walked, Jeffory could feel exhaustion kicking in from surviving the rough day . His eyes were droopy, his legs were growing weak and he could barely keep his head up.

Around him, his team was experiencing the same thing. Then, without warning, they all collapsed at once.

"...ke up! Oh, good lord, boy! Mortals are so lazy!" Jeffory awoke to an exasperated voice calling out to him. He slowly sat up, glancing around wearily. It was dark. Very dark. In fact, it was almost like he was in the Dark Void again. Shoot! Was he having another rampage? Was he hurting his friends?

"No and no. Young man, you are in Sanctuary!" spoke the voice yet again. Jeffory looked around quickly, jumping out of his skin as the voice caught him off guard. This was getting annoying.

"Alright, that's it. Where the heck are you?" Jeffory asked loudly. No response. He shook his head, before calling into the darkness, "Come on! Answer me!... Hello?" He whined the last part out pathetically.

Suddenly, a light filled the room. Jeffory got to his feet as he realized he had been laying on a rather soft carpet. He scanned the room with his eyes. It looked sort of like an astronomy tower. There were all sorts of strange globes, starcharts on the ceiling wall, even on the floor! In the center of the room, there sat a large telescope. As Jeffory stood, entranced by the sort of beauty of the place, he forgot he had even been talking to something earlier.

"Ahem!" That brought him back to reality. Jeffory looked to his right, finding himself face-to-face with a very odd creature. Its large eyes that sat on its rather round face were large and black; its lips tilted upwards into a grin, as Jeffory lept backwards hollering loudly. "Oh, come now, I'm not that scary!" it spoke, stroking the long, starry robe that covered his feet.

Its small but wide wings beat as it flew over to the boy. The strange creature got in Jeffory's face and examined him. Jeffory looked over the rest of its rather small body. This thing was no bigger than a Petpet! Jeffory was most intrigued by the creature's odd helmet-like hat that sat on its head. The half moon on top wobbled back and forth, as the creature looked over the Kyrii again.

"Well, I must say, you are not very impressive. I say, dear boy, however did you manage to escape those ruins?" it asked. Jeffory's eyes narrowed. "Wait. You know about the events at the Lunar Ruins? Were you responsible?" Jeffory asked, clenching his fists.

The tiny creature shook its round head. "No, of course not. Honestly, where are your manners, young man?" he scolded. Jeffory winced. He had never liked being scolded, especially not by weird little creatures.

"I will explain everything to you, but first I believe the entire group should be here," he explained. Suddenly, more areas in the room became visible, and he saw his friends passed out cold on the now-lit floor. What surprised Jeffory the most, was _who_ was with them.

"Kendra!" he gasped. It was indeed the Flotsam, laying face-down on the floor. At his call, the group began to stir. Jack was the first to sit up, muttering, "Mommy... fluff my pillow?" Jeffory shook his head. Jack was weird as ever.

Hunter and Kendra sat up as well. Hunter roused out of his sleepy state almost immediately, running for the telescope. Kendra was looking at her friends with a confused expression.

"W- what's going on? Why am I here? Why are you here?" she asked, making Hunter and Jack, who seemed oblivious to their other teammate's presence, look at her. "KENDRA!" they squealed like little girls, running to hug her. Jack got to her first, but instead of embracing her, he flew right through her, as though she were a ghost.

"What the-" started Jeffory before turning to glare at the floating creature behind him. "Is this some kind of trick to mess with our heads!" he snarled. "Once again, no. Oh dear, do you have a temper!" chuckled said creature. Jeffory and the others did not look convinced. The small creature said, "Please sit down," and he pointed to a small bed to his right. Jeffory tilted his head. That wasn't there when he last checked.

The quintet cautiously approached the bed. After Jack poked it with his finger, he recoiled, expecting it to bite or something. Once nothing happened, they sat down, feeling a little cramped on the one-person bed.

Their "host" flew in front of them, taking a deep sigh. "First, let me introduce myself. I am Luneth. My people are the Moon Folk, the creatures you encountered at the Lunar Ruins. As you can see, I am not trying to kill you... but my people-" he trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose to fend off a headache. When he was done, he continued. "-lost their sanity, turning them into those wretched beasts that attempted to murder you three." He pointed at Jeffory, Jack, and Hunter. Kendra, who was on the far left of the bed, glanced at her team with an alarmed expression. Luneth cleared his throat, regaining her attention.

"It happened two years ago. A young Neopian came to our ruined city years ago. He was a strange young man, truly frightening. He was a Koory I believe..." Jack, Hunter and Kendra sniggered as Jeffory muttered, "Kyrii." Luneth snapped his fingers. "Yes, that's what it was. Ahh, ten thousand years really does take its toll!" he sighed, making Jack grow impatient.

"Will you get on with it?" he asked, exasperated. Luneth glared at him. "My, my kids these days... As I was saying, this young man was a devil. His eyes glowed fiery red and he possessed inhuman strength. It was like his very presence drove my people mad!"

Hunter shuddered next to Jeffory, who shot him a questioning glance before looking back to Luneth.

"Why are you telling us this? Why are we even here?" Jeffory asked, beginning to lose whatever patience he had left. Luneth sighed, poking at the half moon on his hat. "I am telling you this beacause I need your assistance! I needed you all together so I could tell you all at once!"

"I was only able to get your self-concious into this area. In other words, you are dreaming. Having a vision of sorts. I was the only one who escaped the ruins... I am now in hiding... there will come a day where you will find me. When you do, let me join your cause! I can tell you now, you _will _need my help in the future."

Jeffory glanced around as the room began to fade. It was like the dream in which he saw his parents... "Oh, dear. I'm afraid I cannot hold the connection much longer. Please know that in the near future, I will contact you like this again. Do not be alarmed when this happens. I've had several people die of a heart attack the first time I did this. It's a miracle you lasted this long," he chuckled.

The room was almost gone; so were Jeffory's teammates. He looked to his left. He could see right through Hunter. Looking through the Kougra, he could see Kendra was already gone.

"Wait, Luneth! I still don't understand! Why do you need our assistance? What is it about!"

"If you can defeat the man that attacked the ruins, you can break his hold on my people! But, you must kno-" Luneth was cut off as the connection broke.

The trio shot awake in the sea cave. Jeffory shook the sleep out of his eyes, glancing over at the other two.

"What was that?" questioned Jack, yawning. Hunter began to explain in a very "Hunter-like" manner. Jack quickly cut him off. "Never mind..."

Jeffory stayed silent, pondering what had just occurred. _That was freaky. Who was the Kyrii that attacked the Moon Folk? What kind of monster could make people insane with their presence? How was Luneth the only one to escape?_ All these questions were making his head hurt. Jeffory was tired of thinking so hard about everything. It was one thing after another today!

Jack was off in his own little world, thinking about Kendra. She had been with them, but at the same time, she wasn't. He missed her. A lot. The idea of her being like a ghost upset him. Was she already dead? He began to rub his arm, feeling butterflies in his stomach.

Hunter was thinking about the breakthrough in telepathic connections.

Jeffory stood up, brushing himself off. "Okay, no time to waste. We have to get to Altador before we lose our sanity." Being outside of civilization for so long was making them a little batty.

Jack nodded and stood up. Next to him, Hunter did the same, albeit still muttering about "telekinesis and awesome science!"

With that, they set off further into the cave. It would be an hour later until they at last found the exit: an old wooden ladder that led upwards. On the way, Jeffory had found five thousand Neopoints in his bag. It had not been there before... Jeffory guessed that Luneth gave it to them; they would probably need it later.

Jeffory reached the top of the later. There was something above them blocking the hole. Hanging on with one hand, he used the other to push the object out of the way. As soon as he pushed it to the side, a little bit of sunlight poured in. Jeffory poked his head out of the hole and inspected his surroundings.

They were indeed on the shores of Altador. Thankfully, there were no monsters creeping about, so the short walk to the city would be easy. The sky was still grey, threatening to rain on them again. The Kyrii climbed out of the hole, and helped Jack out. The Mynci, in turn, reached down and grabbed Hunter's paw, hauling him out.

"You could have been more gentle!" said Kougra whined, getting a whack on the head by the irritated Mynci. "Next you're gonna be talking about your feelings! We're men, we are macho! Get it together, man!" wailed the Mynci, getting a pathetic whine from Hunter.

Jeffory growled, "Shut up, you two! Look-" he pointed to the grand city in the distance "-Altador's right over there! You can fight when we get there and get a hotel room," Jeffory said sternly.

Jack and Hunter seemed to think about it for a second, before turning to eachother and shaking hands. "Deal!" they agreed, before following their leader across the gloomy shores.

**Alright, there we go. Next chapter will cover Altador, the climb up the cliffs of Shenkuu and the some of the boat ride to Meridell.**

**Wolf Princess girl: You're close. Something positive happens with the Moon Folk, in a later chapter. Thanks for reviewing!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys, I'm back with another new chapter. Enjoy!**

**Also... Come ON guys! No reviews, really? Please review. **

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 17: Altador.**

Jeffory and the others walked to the walls surrounding the ancient city.

Jeffory glanced at the sky again, hoping that it wouldn't pour. Jack was already sick andJeffory was worried that he could get pnemonia if they didn't get inside soon.

The gate that blocked them from getting inside the city was beautiful. It was made of pure gold that sparkled. The walls weren't half bad, either. They were were not as majestic as the gate but they did have a a unique shine, just like the crystals in the sea cave. In fact, Jeffory thought these might of been made with those types of materials.

Jack was eyeing the gold with a greedy look, while Hunter was muttering about the amazing architecture.

Jeffory approached the golden gate and knocked hard on it, shouting "OPEN UP!" There was no response, for a minute. They were caught off guard when a Meerca poked his head over the top of the gate.

"Whaddya want?" he snapped. His voice was very annoying... He reminded Jeffory of Giggles. Oh, how he hated that little rat... Jeffory brought himself out of his reverie, looking up at the armor-clad Meerca.

"We need to get inside the city! My friend's sick and I have to get him a place to rest!"

"Please let us in!" he called, hopefuly. The Meerca seemed to think for a second before saying "Hmm... NO!" the Meerca began to cackle rudely.

Jeffory growled bitterly, thinking of a way to get past this guy. Then it came to him. The Neopoints! He reched into his pocket, pulling them out. Luneth must have known they would need the money. That's why it showed up in their bag!

He waved it at the Meerca, who seemed to lose all train of thought upon seeing the filled bag.

Jeffory tossed it up to the guard, who squeeked and caught it in his long tail. Jeffory mentaly kicked himself. He should've gotten the guard to open the gate_ before _tossing him the valuable bag...

Jack began to cough again, making Jeffory glance at him in worry. "Now, open the gate! You got your pay!" he snapped.

The Meerca broke out of his trance, no longer cuddling the bag of money. He disappeared behind the gate. He had now been gone for a little over a five minutes. Jeffory was beginning to lose hope. His worries were put to rest, however as loud creak sounded. The gate was opening! Once the gates were open, the team got to see inside the city. Altador was not as futuristic as most of the cities in their world, instead it was more modern. Altador had always been a little bit behind in the times.

Jeffory grudgingly thanked the Meerca as he walked through the gate, although he muttered "jerk" under his breath. He was faintly reminded of the recepcionist at the Academy. It all seemed so long ago, now...

Jeffory scanned the city, looking for an inn. He spotted an old Mynci walking down the street, so he jogged over to him.

"Excuse me, sir?" he asked, tapping him on the shoulder. The old man turned to look at him, before his eys widened to the size of dinner plates. "D-demon! Get away, you foul beast!" he cried, swinging his cane at the boy. Said Kyrii ducked and grabbed the cane with his free hand.

"Hey, knock it off! I was just gonna ask you a question!" Jeffory explained. The elderly man would hear none of it, though.

"LIES!" he wailed, attempting to wiggle his cane out of the younger, much stronger Neopian's hands.

By now, there were many onlookers surrounding the two, curious as to what was happening. Jack and Hunter attempted to thin out the crowd. Jack yelled: "Nothing to see here, folks!"

The commotion attracted the attention of a nearby guard, who jogged over to them. "HEY, that's enough!" he called through the mass of people.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, to look at the frustrated Draik.

Said Draik made his way through the crowd, stopping in front of Jeffory and the Mynci.

"What's going on here?" he asked. Jeffory opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by the Mynci screaming "THIS DEMON TRIED TO KILL ME!" he managed to snatch the cane back, catching the teen off guard. He swung it at Jeffory, hitting him in the jaw. The impact knocked him off his feet and knocked him over. The crowd gasped and began to murmer loudly.

"Hey!" snapped Jack, looking ready to tackle the older man. Hunter held him back, snapping "What in the world was that for?" at the old, but aggressive man. The armor-clad Draik had enough. "That's it, everyone quiet!" he bellowed, spooking the onlookers into silence.

The guard helped Jeffory to his feet, patting him on the shoulder. "You alright, son?" he questioned. Jeffory rubbed his jaw, muttering: "I've been through worse..." the guard chuckled at this, before turning back to the Mynci.

"Leonard, I'm afraid this is a misunderstanding. Perhaps you should go back home..." he told him, snapping his fingers. Another guard heard this and jogged over. The Draik glanced at the Nimmo. "John, may you escort Leonard back to his house?" John nodded, before taking Leonard's hand and slowly walking off.

Once the crowd had dispersed, the Draik guard turned back to the trio. "My apolgies; Leonard was a member of the church that burned down two years ago. He was always a little bit paranoid, saying he could see demons and stuff like that."

Jeffory tilted his head. "Demons...?" he asked, making Jack shudder.

The guard nodded. "Oh, I'm afraid I never introduced myself. I am Richard, chief of the Altador Brigade." he explained, getting nods from the group. "I must ask; how did you get here? You look like you went to hell and back!" he exclaimed, getting a sneeze from Jack.

Hunter spoke up. "We took the sea caves here." Richard looked at the Kougra, and his eyes widened. He seemed to be deep in thought for a second before saying "I would like to request you three to meet me at the inn's resturant. I have some things I would like to talk to you about. Meet me at 8:30 tonight."

Jeffory looked confused, but nodded. "Just one question. Where is the Inn?" he asked sheepishly. "Head to the left of here, and go right. It will be at the end of the road. Tell the recepcionist that Richard'll pay."

Jeffory and the others' eyes widened. He hardly knew them, and yet he was paying for their room? Jeffory decided to take it as a blessing and move on, for now. "Thank you, sir," said Jeffory extending his hand. Richard shook the boy's hand while saying "Just call me Richard."

"I'm Jeffory Knights," Jeffory said before glancing at the other two. "These are Hunter and Jack," he introduced, pointing at the Jack and Hunter respectively.

Richard bid them farewell, before he set off to the south end of the city, while the other three made their way to the Inn._

"We were told by Richard to come here. He said to tell you he would pay."

Jeffory was in the middle of explaining to the receptionist what Richard had told them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack sitting next to the fireplace, attempting to warm himself. Hunter, on the other hand, was having a bit to much fun messing with the room changer, which earned him annoyed glares from the nobles scattered around the lobby.

Jeffory turned back to the Blumaroo receptonist when she said, "Richard? You mean SIR. Richard?" Her eyes took on a dreamy look, and she sighed in a fangirlish way.

Jeffory had had it with annoying receptoinsts, so he said: "Yeah, anyway, we need to know what room we'll be staying in." The girl stopped her swooning and gave him a nasty look. "How dare you completly blow off the mention of his marvelous name? The brave, mighty and incredibly gorgeous Sir. Richard?" she gushed.

Jeffory gave her a vicious glare, and she stopped. "Room 75, third floor," she sad quickly, glowering at him when he turned his back. Jeffory walked over to Jack, cursing annoying receptionists in his head. He patted Jack on the shoulder. "Come on, we've got a room."

Jack's eyes lit up, at the thought of a place where they could finally rest. Jeffory turned and called Hunter, who looked crestfallen about not examining the room changer, walked over to them. "It's a different model, Jeff! Can't I look a little longer?" he pleaded. Jeffory shook his head. "Sorry Hunt, but you can't stay in those wet clothes much longer, you'll get sick. We'll probably have one in our room anyway," he told the Kougra.

Hunter sighed and nodded, moving out of Jack's way, as he ran to the elevator.

Jeffory was reminded of their room back at the academy when he looked into the hotel room. "Whoaaaa..." he gasped. Next to him, Jack and Hunter did the same.

The room was rather large with three king sized beds lined up by the left wall, a plazma screen sat in the center of the room, the room changer was set to an beach view complete with seagulls calling and last but certainly not least, there was a large balcony outside the room, giving them a perfect view of the city and the ocean.

Jeffory was amazed. This had to be really exspensive! And Richard was paying for it for them. He hardly knew them! Jeffory couldn't shake off that Richard seemed so familliar in his kind ways... but who was he similar to?

As Jeffory racked his brain, Jack slumped over to the bed, collapsing on it. Hunter did the same with his bed, forgetting about the room changer that was right next to his bed.

Jeffory sighed. He didn't need them falling asleep in those wet clothes... He opened his mouth to say so, but he was met with snores. Jeffory sighed, wandering over to the bathroom. The sound of rummaging could be heard, before he came out holding a wireless hairdrier.

He dropped the hairdrier on his bed, before grabbing a nearby chair, and placing it in between the sleeping Kougra and Mynci's beds. He retrieved the hairdrier and set them on high. He pointed it at Hunter. After a moment he moved it to Jack. So, he sat like that. Alternating driying his friends.

He had at there for an hour, drying his friends. When they finally awoke, Jeffory tossed the hairdrier on his bed and smacked them both on the head. "What was that for!" snapped Jack, rubbing his noggin. "That's for going to sleep and making me dry you!" Jeffory responded, rubbing his tired eyes. Jack chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry Jeff..."

Jeffory shrugged, checking his watch. It was 6:30. He had some time to get some shut-eye.

He slumped off to the bathroom, changing into a bathrobe, and walking out with his clothes in a bundle. "Catch," he said simply, tossing his clothes to Jack, who caught them. Hunter took this as cue, so he wandered to the bathroom, coming out in a similar robe. Jack soon followed

Once they were done, Jeffory told the team he was gonna take a nap, and asked Jack to wash their clothes. "Yessir, commander sir!" he responded sarcastically.

Jeffory had no weird dreams, and slept peacefuly. Once he woke up, the group got ready to meet Richard.

When they walked into the resturant, the group quickly felt underdressed. Most of the customers were nobles, and as such were dressed very properly, and here they were wearing jeans and t shirts...

Jeffory quickly scanned the room for Richard, whom he saw sitting in a table towards the back of the room. Jeffory nudged Jack, who was staring at at a pretty waitress, and poined at Richard's table. Jack stopped staring at her and sheepishly followed Hunter behind him.

They got rather odd looks from the "upper class" as they passed through. Jeffory was sure he heard a snobbish-looking lady utter "Riff-raff" quite loudly. Jack stuck his tounge out at her, making her gasp and whisper: "I never!" Jeffory smacked him on the arm. "That's enough," he whispered.

Jeffory sat down in the chair across from the Draik, while Jack and Hunter sat down on the other two chairs. Jeffory turned back to the Richard. His helmet was off, revealing a blue Draik with brown eyes that seemed to sparkle with life, and a very scarred face. He looked as though he had been through a lot but was still enjoying the ride.

Richard extended his hand in greeting, and Jeffory shook it. "It is good to see you three again," he said, letting go of Jeffory's hand to shake Jack's hand and Hunter's... tail.

"Before we get down to buisiness, let's order. I don't know about you, but I am starved," said Richard happily. Jeffory inwardly chuckled. _If you only knew..._ he thought. The waitress walked over to them. It was the same one Jack had been drooling over. Jack gulped, and Jeffory and Hunter rolled their eyes.

"May I take your order?" The shadow Kyrii asked. Richard allowed the other three to go first. Richard and Jeffory ordered a lobster dinner, planning to split it. Hunter selected the chicken soup, and Jack, after much stuttering, chose a steak dinner.

Once the waitress walked away, Jeffory turned back to Draik. "Are you sure you don't mind paying?" he asked with concern. Richard shook his head. "It is really no matter. I asked you to meet me, anyhow," he said. Jeffory and the others looked unconvinced. "If you still have doubts let me tell you, being the captain of the guard pays very well," he told them with a smirk, they relaxed.

"Now then, I would like to once again apologize about Leonard. He was always an extremist, but last year, I believe, he came to us saying something attacked him in his sleep. He told us it was a terrible demon. Ever since, he's been saying that he can see them."

"Please try not to be too offended..." he finished quietly. It was obvious this topic made him uncomfortable. Jeffory shook his head. "It's no big deal, sorry to cause you trouble."

Richard nodded. "It's alright, I was waiting for something that wasn't boring to happen," he said getting chuckles from the teens. "Now I have to ask-" his voice became serious. "-Why are you here? Where are your parents?" he asked. Jeffory sighed. "It's a long story... We're from the Defenders Academy, in Brightvale... We're going to Meridell," Jeffory explained, getting a confused look from the Draik. "Why would you go there? That city is in ruins, now."

Hunter spoke up. "A... mission," Richard glanced at him, sighing. "Why would the Academy give you such a dangerous task?" he asked, more to himself than the teens before him. Jeffory sighed. No need to get the Academy a bad name. "The Acedemy didn't send us. We're going for other purposes. I'm afraid I can't tell you what, though..." Jeffory trailed off, as the waitress returned with their food. They thanked her, and she nodded, walking away.

"The Academy was attacked around a week ago, correct?" asked Richard, after taking a bite of his sandwich. Jeffory nodded, giving Jack an irratated glance as the Mynci ate his steak loudly. "Yeah, Kass enginered the assault. We encountered him on the roof of the Acedemy. He- he was a Magic User... A shadow elemental." Richard's eyes widened, before returning to normal. "I see. Adam grey was lost in the battle, was he not?" Jeffory nodded solemnly. "Yeah... he was a good man. He shouldn't have died..." the Kyrii whispered.

Richard rubbed his temple. He looked up at the teens again. "I never truly introduced myself. I am Richard Grey. My brother was Adam Grey, who gave his life for the students..."

Jeffory gasped, dropping his knife with a clatter. The other two's reactions were similar. "I-I-I'm sorry! It was my fault! Grey dided protecting me from Kass! It was my fault!" he repeated, looking crushed. Richard shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for, Jeffory. Adam knew he had to die." Jeffory just stared, speechless. How could he say that? How could this man say that Jefffory had nothing to apologize for? He had EVERYTHING to apologize for!

_Yes you do..._

Jeffory cursed at the creature in his head. Why would Grey know he had to die? What purpose could that possibly serve? Why was this world so screwed up?

Richard obviously noticed his discontent, as he said, "I'm not entierly sure myself. But he did say that in the future it would all be clear, or something along the lines of that."

Jeffory sighed heavily. He was beginning to lose his appetite. Jack wasn't, as he gobbled down the rest of his steak within 10 seconds. Hunter, on the other hand, was deep in thought. Jeffory sighed, and opened his mouth to apologize again. Richard cut him off.

"Please, it's alright. I do however have a request. Allow me to escort you to the Shenkuu harbor. My brother would have wanted me to assist you, at least."

Jeffory nodded. "Alright. We appreciate it."

Jeffory plopped down on his bed, sighing loudly. It was too much. He didn't want to make Richard be near them. If Jeffory was in his Richard's shoes, he would want nothing to do with the people who were responsible for his brother's death... Jeffory sighed once again, pulling his pillow over his head. Too much death. Too much pain. Too much sadness. Too much.

Jack was also quiet. He still couldn't belive that Rich was Grey's brother! It seemed like a bad soap opera! "Jeez... Why do we always seem to run into problems? I don't know what to do anymore..." he sighed loudly.

Hunter, of course, sighed as well. "I just can't comprehend how Richard could have nothing against us. Grey died because of us... It's our fault, and he wants to HELP us? Why...?"

Jeffory finally spoke. "I doubt he has nothing against us. He probably didn't want to make us feel bad. We should, though. No I should. I was the one who engaged Kass. I knew I couldn't beat him, I just didn't want to admit it..."

The group fell into silence. Ten minutes passed. Half an hour. Finally an hour passed. Jack and Hunter had fallen asleep, but Jeffory lay awake. The moonlight came through the balcony, lighting the room with a silver glow. Jeffory rolled out of his bed and walked over to the balcony, careful not to wake his sleeping friends.

He crept onto the balcony, breathing in the fresh air. He leaned on the balcony railing, looking up at the moon. "Mom, Dad... what do I do?" he asked softly. He glanced at the Aurnion, and sighed. It had been in the sky the night of the invasion... That constellation was known as a beacon of hope for travelers. The Aurnion was said to protect them on their journeys. It's light kept them alive. He had survived the assualt, but Grey was lost. If the stroies were true, why had Jeffory survived?

He faintly remembered a similar contellastion when he was a little boy. Before the attack on Meridell. He had thought it looked like a sword heroes used in fairy tales.

Then the next day, Meridell was in ruins. Once again, Jeffory survived. How come he survived, and people around him died?

He glared at the constellation... "That damned thing..." he growled, his eyes turning black for a split second before returning to his electric blue irisis. He walked back to his room, laying on on his bed and falling into a fitful rest.

**Alright, guys that's it. Next chapter will cover Shenkuu and the trip to Meridell. Around 3 or 4 more chapters, and Defenders of Neopia is finished. Please read and review, and I will see you all next friday!**

**Ps. The first chapter has been updated. So no more grammar problems and whatnot. I reccomend going back and reading it.**

**LaDude.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey, everybody, I'm back! Bet you didn't see Richard being Adam's brother coming didya? HA! Anyway, enjoy!**

**Ps: Sorry to keep you waiting! I was at a music festival four five days and by the time I got home, I hadn't even STARTED chapter 18. But, as you can see, I finished it and you can now read it. Enjoy!**

**Pps. I wanna give special thanks to my good friend **_**Jamie Johnson **_** for accidentily helping me with my writer's block. You rock Jamie!**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 18: The beginning of the end.**

Jeffory pulled his shirt over his head, as he muttered to himself, "Time to get moving..."

Jack stumbled groggily out of the bathroom, tripping over his own feet in the process. Jeffory looked at the fallen Mynci and sighed. THIS was his "special" team... Speaking of "special" teammates, Hunter rolled out of his bed, landing with a thud. Jeffory sighed again. This would be a long morning...

After everybody was done falling over eachother, the team descended the steps of the Inn and met with Richard.

Said Draik looked at them from the wall he was leaning against and chuckled. "You boys look like you just rolled out of bed," he said with a grin. Jeffory and Jack gave Hunter death glares, causing the Kougra to chuckle sheepishly.

Richard said: "Now, then, I suggest we get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover before we reach Shenkuu." The group nodded at him and they began to walk to the North end of Altador. Richard watched them for a minute, thinking, before he followed them.

On the way, Jeffory turned to Jack. "Hey, how do you think Kendra's doing?" he asked softly.

Jack tensed and his eyes dimmed a little. Jeffory regretted asking. He thought the mention of Kendra's name would make Jack happy. He had expected to see Jack blush and happily declare that Kendra would be just fine, like he did the last time Jeffory asked him that question.

Jack sighed. "I don't know, man... It's just that she seemed so out of it at the little meeting with ol' Luneth. It was like she was dieing... I could just tell by her eyes..." Jeffory normaly would've teased Jack for staring at Kendra's eyes, but decided against it. Jack was hurting. They all were. Their adventures weren't the same without the clever Flotsam helping them along the way. If this was how they felt now, how would it feel if Kendra did die...? They fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Jeffory began to think about Luneth. He was so bizzare. It took him forever to explain why he needed their help. No, in fact, he never did answer the question... The journey just got weirder and weirder... It all started with him trying to save his parents almost a year ago, now. And now, he had made more friendships than he could've thought possible. But at the same time, there had been more suffering than he thought possible... Kendra, Grey, Mom and Dad and, of course, Sam... What had happened to Sam? Was he going to die? Was he already dead...? Was this journey not even worth it? He began to tense, similar to Jack when he asked about Kendra.

An hour. It had been an hour since they left Altador. An hour in the rain, an hour since they began walking on the HUGE bridge that led out. It must've been at least two miles long!

And even so, they continued their journey in silence. The only sound heard was their footsteps and Richard's armor clanging as he walked. They trecked on. Not stopping to enjoy the view, not stopping to talk, not stopping to rest and not stopping to think. Jeffory looked at his friends and sighed. They had all been through too much. They had been cheating death for the longest time. One couldn't defy fate forever. Sooner or later, things will turn the other way. Or at least that's what Jeffory thought. He wouldn't be surprised if this bridge collapsed in a minute or two.

Richard decided to break the silence, by starting conversation with Jeffory. "Can I speak with you?" he asked. Jeffory nodded solemnly. He still didn't know why he felt so dead today... They fell back from the other two, allowing Jeffory and Richard to talk in private.

"Jeffory, I know about what happened at the Academy. I know that Kass killed your family and that you're out for revenge," stated Rich. "Adam wrote to me about you..." he continued. Jeffory sighed. "It's complicated..." he responded, hoping Rich would let it drop. He didn't. "Isn't there another way? To seek revenge in your situation would be to become a murderer! Doesn't that worry you? Do you intend to return to Brightvale and live out the rest of your life a murderer? You intend to murder this man in cold blood, not out of self-defence!" Richard continued.

Jeffory growled. What does he know? His life wan't ruined by Kass. His friend wasn't up in space in only god knows what condition! He wasn't Jeffory! Jeffory simply kept walking. he had made up his mind. He would finish Kass. He would take back Sam. He would avenge his parents and Grey. Not a single person was going to change his mind.

Richard sighed as the young man walked ahead, refusing to listen. Rich sighed. He had only known Jeffory barely 24 hours and he already knew this boy was far too stubborn. He didn't realize what he was doing. He was going to end up walking down the road of a criminal. If he believes his life was ruined now, what would happen if he DID murder Kass? He would never be the same again.

_Slash!_

Richard cut down a Sand Snake, turning it to dust that flew away on the wind. His large silver sword gleamed in the sunlight as he slashed through another.

Jack rolled out of the way of a another Sand Snake's teeth, as it snapped at him. He kicked it in the torso, causing the sand holding it together to collapse and blow away. He shot another one pestering Hunter, before he ran into a group of Assasins to help Jeffory.

Jeffory kicked one in the jaw, and slashed another. He had been practicaly seething with fury since Rich tried to tell him to change his mind. He struck with fury and visciousness the team had never witnessed before. He punched an Assasin in the face, a loud crunch following, and he sliced another's arm off. Moving out of the way, so Jack could shoot one who came up from behind.

Richard cut down the last Sand Snake, and sheathed his sword. The teens were panting heavily, trying in vain to keep themselves upright. That fight had been too long. The monsters were getting smarter, ambushing the team, ganging up on them. Most monsters would attack whatever victim they saw, but these ones were adamant about choosing their prey and fighting to the death.

Richard turned to the tired young men and sighed. As impressed he was to see these children fight with such skill, it made him sad. Children shouldn't have to put their lives at risk. They shouldn't have to fight. He, personaly, was against the Academy. It was too dangerous.

Jack shrunk his blaster and put in his pocket, muttering: "Damn, those things were tough..." Hunter nodded. "I analyzed them while we fought. They had a game plan. Rich is the biggest out of all of us, so they had little creatures like the Sand Snakes swarm him. Something's not right. There must be a higher power pulling the strings... I know it..." he explained. Jeffory had been out of it the whole time he wasn't listening. He felt so angry... he just wanted to rip everything to shreds. It was fun hearing the crunch of bones snapping... the squelching of a blade peircing the skin... it was fun... The entire time that voice in his head had been cackling, cheering.

Jack noticed the look on Jeffory's face, but said nothing. Jeffory would blow up if he tried something now. Jeffory had been on edge as of late. Something was bothering him and he refused to tell anyone. Jeffory had always been like that. "Field trip to Werelupe Woods." That was a load of crap. He sighed, leaning against a nearby tree. Hunter joined him, laying down. "What do you think Jeffory is so infuriated about? He's acting so weird. Do you think this has something to do with the fits he has? When he loses control? When he tried to kill me back in the sea cave?" asked Hunter. Jack nodded. "Ever since those fits he's been getting angry about everything. He's gone from sad to angry in a second. Should we tell Rich?" he asked.

Hunter looked over at Richard who was polishing his fine blade with a cloth, while leaning against another tree. "No. What he doesn't know the better. Besides, he'll probably see that side soon enough. That's why we should try to avoid talking to Jeffory right now. Something could set him off. We might not get him back." Hunter said, solemly. Jack pinched the bridge of his nose to prevent a headache. This was supposed to be a simple rescue mission. Not this! Get to the Station, stop Kass and free Sam. Things could never be easy with this team, could it?

Richard stopped polishing his blade and stood up. "I belive it is time to continue. We don't want to be attacked again," he said. The team, minus Jeffory, nodded. It was only after the group began moving that Jeffory regained his sense and followed. All the while, the voice in his head whispered wickedly, telling Jeffory to do terrible things. Most people would be worried that there was a voice at all, but for Jeffory, he was more worried that he would give into the voice's temptations. All of a sudden, stabbing Richard in the back seemed _very_ appealing.

"Hold on a second. We have to climb THAT?" asked Jack, looking panicky. Next to him, Hunter growled: "YES, Jack. We do have to climb that, as I have told you ten times in the past five minutes!" They stood at the base of The cliffs of Shenkuu. Jeffory rolled his eyes at the two before he glanced at Richard out of the corner of his eye. "How long do you thing it will take to climb that?" he asked softly. He was still resisting the voice's urges to jump the Draik and murder him in cold blood. Richard spoke softly, as well. "About an hour at best. That is, of course, if we don't fall to our dooms instead..." He chuckled lightly, getting nervous chuckles from Jack and Hunter and a glare from Jeffory. "Right, sorry..." he apologized. Jeffory shook his head, walking towards the cliff. He hopped across the small creak avoiding the running water below and waiting for the other three.

Hunter made sure to avoid falling in the water and joined the Kyrii, Jack and Richard followed.

Jeffory looked at them all. "So, it looks like we're gonna be up there awhile. Do you guys think we should rest beforehand?" Jack began nodding enthusiasticaly. The other two's nods were slower but still rather eager. Jeffory nodded, turning to a small patch of grass and began to make himself comfortable. Around him, the rest of the group did the same.

They sat for around an hour. Other then the occasinal bad joke from Jack and the pitying chuckles, nothing really happened. Jeffory felt cold. Bitter. The voice was growing louder, like it was actually sitting next to him. He could of sworn the sky was getting darker. Like it was going to pour on them again...

Jeffory sighed as the voice started up again. _Any reason why you like bugging me so much? _he asked the voice. It was quiet for a minute before it responded. _I enjoy making you feel angry. That's how I find fulfillment in my life, _it responded happily. Jeffory rolled his eyes. What sick twisted... _My my Jeffory. You think some hateful things... I'm glad I'm rubbing off on you, _it taunted, making Jeffory begin to shake with rage. The others weren't paying attention, so they did not notice Jeffory eyes turn black, nor did they notice his fur turning grey or his hands sprout three inch claws. Jeffory let out a low growl, his anger showing on his face.

Jack woke up form his short nap feeling drowzy. He looked over at Jeffory and began to blink rapidly. What the hell happened to him? Jack began rubbing his eyes. When he was done, he saw Jeffory looking normal sitting quietly. Jack stared for a second before falling back to sleep.

Jeffory shook the cobwebs out of his head and adressed the voice. _Alright, what just happened? What did you do to me? _he snapped._ I just decided to show you the extent of your power-of MY power... If you would only listen to me, that power would be yours and yours alone, _it told him with a wicked chuckle. Jeffory froze. If he lost it again... would that mean he would turn into that thing again...? Would he hurt people like he almost hurt Hunter? It felt different this time. When he almost killed Hunter he didn't like the feeling of rage. It felt... terrible. But this time he enjoyed it. It felt good to lose control, despite the fact that he didn't even do anything. If feeling that angry and not doing anything was enjoyable, what if he did do something the next time? He felt sleepy now. All that thinking tired him out... NO! He couldn't fall asleep! He might go nuts again! But he was just... sooo... ti...red...

"C'mon man, get up!" Jeffory awoke to the sound of Jack's loud, cheery voice. Ugh. He was enjoying being gloomy... Oh, great. Now he felt like an emo. He attempted to smile but he just ended up looking constipated so he went back to frowning. Richard pointed at the sky, which was darker than before. "It's going to storm soon. We need to find shelter in Shenkuu before then, alright?" he ordered. The group nodded. Jeffory narrowed his eyes. Who put the old man in charge? Richard seemed to notice Jeffory's irratation and kept his distance from the young man. Hunter shared a weary glance with Jack before they both sighed. Jeffory was the first to reach the cliff, and began looking for a foothold. As soon as he found one, he slowly began climbing.

Jack was there next and jumped onto the cliff. He didn't get a proper grip, unfortunately and fell to the ground, landing on his back with a thud. He flailed around like a turtle before righting himself and trying again. Hunter looked up at Jack and whined. "How am I gonna climb _that_? I mean just look at it, I have no opposable thumbs t- hey wha-what are you doing?" Hunter shrieked as Jack used his free hand to grab Hunter's shirt collar and pull him up. "Ahhh, geez Hunter! H-how much do you weigh, man?" Jack groaned as he attempted to carry Hunter up with him. "This won't work," Jack decided, dropping Hunter making him scream like a little girl.

Jack stayed in his position but extended his tail. Hunter, who was about to cuss out the Mynci, caught on and intertwined his tail with Jack's. Jack slowly began climbing Hunter raising off he ground, whspering "Don't look down, don't look down..." to himself. Richard watched the two teens and shook his head in amuzement. Whether those two were smart or just crazy, he was impressed.

Jeffory lay on his back, panting heavily. An hour later, they had reached the top of the cliff. He sighed weakly when he heard thunder boom. Richard pulled himslef over the ledge and sat down next to Jeffory. Jack and Hunter reached the top last. Jack crawled over to them, panting and chanting "Water, water, water..." over and over. Hunter was behind him, shaking like a leaf. "I'm alive, I'm alive... hehehe...heh..." he then proceeded to collapse onto his front.

Jeffory weakly adressed the group. "O-okay... we need to get shelter inside Shenkuu, soon. It's gonna storm," he told them, glancing wearily at the sky. Hunter nodded wildly. Of course he would want to get inside somewhere dry. From where they stood, Jeffory could see a large, wooden bridge extending into the large city. Richard saw it too and began walking in that direction. Jack whined and followed, dragging hunter with him.

Jeffory looked back at the huge cliff they spent an hour climbing and sighed. _Gotta keep going..._

As they walked across the long, wobbly bridge, Hunter kept whispering "Don't look down, I won't look down, don't look down I won't look down..." and it was annoying Jack. "Hey, guys... how HIGH up do you think we are?" he asked Jeffory and Richard wickedly. Hunter whimpered. Jeffory, who was in front, turned around and smacked Jack on the back of the head. "Ignore him, Hunt. Just don't look down," he told him simply. Jack rubbed his head glaring at the Kyrii. Jeffory waved him off returning to the front. He could see the entrance of Shenkuu! They were almost there!

_BOOM!_

Hunter screamed as thunder boomed, yet again. As if on cue, it began to pour. Jack sighed loudly. "Gimme a break!" Jeffory called to them "Let's get into the city!" and began jogging across the bridge. Hunter followed Rich and Jack, shouting "We shouldn't be running! It's not safe!" Jack looked over his shoulder at him, shouting "Oh, grow up!"

Jeffory kept his eyes on the road ahead. This was the last safe place they would be from here on out. It was the beginning of the end.

**Alright that's it! I know I said last chapter that this chapter would cover Shenkuu and some of the boat ride to Meridel, but I decided to end it here. Sorta a cliff hanger (Not really). R&R please!**

**LaDude out!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! I have another new chapter for ya!**

**Oh, by the way, when "the voice" is speaking it will look like this: **_**OOOOOH, look at me I'm insane! **_**Just like that.**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 19: Cooking and clear water**

Jeffory looked out the window of the hotel. It was silent. The only sound was the clock ticking and the rain pounding against the windows.

He was thinking about what would happen next. They had their tickets for the boat ride to Meridel. Richard would leave them at the dock. He had to return to Altador and he couldn't if he was halfway across the ocean. Jeffory was still frustrated with the older man. He appreciated all he had done for them, but he was irratated that he tried to change Jeffory's mind about his mission. Who was he to tell _him_ that revenge was wrong? Kass murdered his brother! Kass was supposed to be Grey's friend and he murdered him! What was wrong with Richard? Couldn't he see that Kass had to be punished?

Jeffory shook with rage and punched the wall next to him. Jack and Hunter jumped. The former had been dozing off while the latter was reading a... ladies' fitness magazine. Jeffory muttered "Sorry" to them, sighing in relief when they went back to what they were doing, although, now Jack was looking over Hunter's shoulder. Hunter whistled loudly. "Dude, look at _her!" _he exclaimed. Jack nodded dumbly. Jeffory shook his head at the two.

There was a knock on the door. Hunter and Jack screamed in horror and threw the magazine underneath one of the nearest beds. Jeffory glared at them, jogging over to the door and opening it. Richard was there looking a little worried. "Why was there screaming?" he asked. Jeffory shook his head. "Jack and Hunter, they're idiots. So what's up?" he asked, wondering why Rich was here in the first place. He had his own room in the hotel.

"I came to check up on you guys. I'm going to be turning in for the night," Richard told them. Jeffory nodded. "Thanks, we're all good here. Most of us aren't sane but we're good," Jeffory told him with a weak chuckle and a thumbs up. Richard chuckled softly. They stood there for a minute, awkwardly. "Well... Good night." Richard finally said with a weak smile before turning on his heel and walking down the chinese-themed hallway.

Jeffory sighed softly. He shouldn't be angry at Rich. He meant well. But still...

Jeffory returned to his bed and sat down. Jack and Hunter, who had returned to gawking at the women in the magazine, looked at him in concern. "Hey, Jeff... uhhhhhh, you wanna tell us what's the matter?" asked Hunter awkwardly.

Jeffory layed down and turned his back to them. "Nothing. I'm just tired..." he lied. He was feeling emotinaly exhausted. That THING inside him. It was taking control. He was losing hope. It was like he was dieing... He shook it off. Or at least he tried to.

The sun coming in through the windows awoke Jeffory. He sat up and rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn't slept much the night before. Too worried about losing control and hurting his friends. He had to get it together.

He heard the sounds of Jack and Hunter bickering from the kitchen. Something about not eating all the ingredients. Jeffory sighed and groggily stumbled to the kitchen. He didn't need Jack and Hunter killing each other before they got on the boat, now could he?

"Wanna tell me what you guys are up to?" he asked leaning against the wall. Jack, who was in the posistion to jump on Hunter and beat the living crap out of him, stopped and looked at the newcomer. "Oh, hey Jeff! I was just teaching this idiot how to make french toast!" he told Jeffory happily. Hunter gave the Mynci a death glare. "Excuse me! I was pretty sure it was _me _teaching_ you_ how to cook!" he snapped. The two were now locked in a stare down. Jeffory sighed, telling them to move.

He looked into the bowl and sighed. "You guys, it needs _milk!_" he groaned. Not to mention it looked like a wad of... he wasn't sure. These two had absoloutly no idea how to make french toast. He sighed again. It was either take over and make _real_ french toast, or step down and risk food poisoning. He grinned. "Step aside, boys and let the _master_ teach you how you make _real_ food," he declared taking the mucky stuff in the bowl and dumping it in the garbage.

It had taken an hour teaching the two to make food. It was almost pitiful! They had no idea how to do anything in the kitchen other than raid the fridge. Now, they were sitting eating their _real_ french toast.

Jack took a large bite and sighed happily. "Y'know, the last time I made this, I got food poisoning!" he told them with a large smile. Jeffory resisted the urge to face-palm. "Uh-huh," he responded, grinning. There was a knock on the door, and Jack loudly shouted "COME IN!" The visitor obliged and opened the door. Richard walked in, taking in a whiff of the french toast. "That smells very good..." he muttered to himself, zoning out. Jeffory rolled his eyes. "There's more in the kitchen," he told him, resisting the urge to laugh as Rich practicaly ran into the kitchen.

He came back out, holding a plate of french toast and looking like he had regained his composure. He pulled out a spare chair next to Hunter and sat down. He began eating his toast with gusto to rival Jack. Jeffory arched a brow. "I'm guessing you don't eat french toast often?" he asked nibbling on his own food. Rich took a napkin and wiped his mouth. "More like I don't eat anything often," he sighed. Jeffory, Jack and Hunter stopped what they were doing to stare at him. "R-really? But you're captain of the Altador Brigade! You must get payed _really_ well! Enough to eat lobster for breakfest lunch _and_ dinner, right?" Hunter asked, looking dumb-founded. Rich shok his head. "No, I have more than enough to pay for my food. It's just that monster activity has been very high near Altador. Remember the group we fought near the bridge?" he asked.

Jeffory shuddered as he remembered the difficult battle. "Yeah, they were really smart..." he responded. Richard nodded. "Monsters like that have been coordinating their attacks on the town. They almost broke through the anti-monster barrier last time they attacked." The teens' eyes widened. "My brigade has been on morning, day and night watch for over two months now. We barely get a chance to even rest, much less have a decent meal. The day I met you was one of the only days I had actually eaten breakfest and lunch," he sighed.

"I only wish I knew why the creatures have been so feisty." Hunter waited for Richard to finish before speaking. "They must have some sort of higher-up that they're answering. Someone that's teaching them," he hypothecized. Jack chuckled. "Yeah, right. What _idiot_ would want to have any contact with monsters?" he asked. Richard shook his head. "No, there is a such thing as a monster trainer. Fool-hardy Neopians who have a passion for monsters. They treat them as pets. There are many people who resent Altador. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted to bring it down," he told them, getting a nod from Hunter.

Jeffory sighed. "The last thing we need is another city getting destroyed."

An hour later, the team was walking across one of the bridges extending across the large cliffs holding up different areas of Shenkuu. The city felt sort of gloomy and damp. The storm had stopped, but the gloomy atmostphere hung around.

"Hey, where is evrybody in this town?" aske Jeffory, looking around. Jack shrugged. "I dunno... Maybe they're all inside?" he offered. Hunter shook his head. "No, they might be down at the dock. I read somewhere that monster activity is pretty high right now. Shenkuu doesn't have a barrier, so when monsters start acting up, they usualy take a boat to somewhere like Meridel. But since Meridel's kinda dangerous now, they go to Brightvale or Market Town," Hunter told them in a single breath. Jack rolled his eyes. "Thanks, ya know-it-all..." he joked. Hunter seemed to beam with pride from that title. "Aww, thanks, buddy!" he said happily. Jeffory shook his head at them as they reached a dead end.

"What now?" he asked, peering over the edge. His question was answered as he noticed a wooden ladder that led down to a walkway that connected to the dock. "Never mind."

Richard walked past him and began descending the ladder, stopping only for a second when the wind blew, causing the ladder to rock a bit. Once he reached the walkway, he called up to them. "Be careful, it's wobbly!" The teens looking down at him nodded. Hunter hesitantly went first at the other two's prodding. Then Jack, and last but not least, Jeffory.

Said Kyrii let go of the ladder when he was an inch above ground to save time. "Okay. Harbor's through there?" he asked, pointing into the dimly-lit cave that was carved into the side of one of the cliffs. Richard nodded. "Indeed. Come, we have ten minutes," he told them, jogging into the cave. Jeffory followed in a jog as well, so did Jack. Hunter, who had been silent since he climbed the rather unsteady ladder, noticed the rest of the group's absence and ran after them, screaming "DON'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!" His shout echoed through the cave.

The quintet came out on the other side. Jack was shaking, muttering "Is it still on me?" over and over. He had a nasty encounter with a large spider in the cave. The insect had jumped on him, and he had screamed so loud it had given Jeffoy a headache. They had attempted to brush it off of the flailing Mynci, but they couldn't see it in the dark cave. So Jack ran screaming out of the cave, leaving them to follow and brush it off outside. Jeffory nodded. "It's gone, don't worry," he told the tense Mynci. Jack whimpered, his muscles relaxing. Sort of. "That thing was huge..." he whined.

Hunter spoke up over the Mynci's whines. "We have 5 minutes!" Jeffory nodded, and broke into a run across the harbor. As soon as they got to the boat, they only had a little bit of time to say their goodbyes. Richard extended his hand to Jack, who shook it vigorously, saying "Thanks for helping! Oh, and thanks for the food!" Richard chuckled and nodded. Hunter was second. "Thanks again, Richard. Good luck with the Altador Brigade," he said, using his tail to shake the Draik's gloved hand. Richard said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Hunter."

Last but not least was Jeffory. Said Kyrii was standing in the back the whole time, silent. Richard slowly approached him. "Jeffory, I know I can't stop you. You've made up your mind. All I can tell you is to take care of yourself..." he told the young Kyrii quietly. "Yeah... You too, Rich," Jeffory responded. Rich stood in silence for a few moments before extending his hand for Jeffory to shake. "Well, it was a pleasure getting the chance to meet my brother's star student," he said with a grin. Jeffory chuckled rubbing the back of his neck in embarassment before shaking Richard's hand. "And Jeffory, Adam would not hold anything against you. He was my brother after all. I know him quite well." Jeffory stayed silent for a moment before whispering "Thank you..." he gave Rich's hand one last firm shake, before turning and running up the ramp to the ship. "Thanks for everything, Richard! Take care of yourself!" he called, just before the foghorn went off, drowning his voice out. Richard waved goodbye to them.

The ship, The Fyora, began to pull away form port. Hunter shook violently as he glanced at the water below. "W-w-w-water..." he whispered, weakly. Jack sighed and patted him on the back. "You'll be fine, Hunt. C'mon! Let's go find our rooms!" Jack proposed, looking excited. Hunter nodded enthusiasticly, glad to take his mind off the ocean surrounding him.

Jeffory didn't pay attention, as he leaned against the ship's rail, watching the city of Shenkuu slowly fade into the distance. Jeffory whispered "Goodbye Richard," under his breath. He turned to go after his friends, but not before looking over his shoulder once more and muttering "I'm sorry."

When he entered his room, he saw Jack jumping on one of the beds, whooping and laughing. Jeffory rolled his eyes at the hyperactive Mynci before looking around for Hunter. "Jack, where-" he was cut off by Jack simply saying "He got sea sick." Jeffory nodded. "Typical. Poor Hunt has so much wrong with him," he said fondly, before walking to his bed. This was a pretty good deal. They got a luxory cruize ship for free thanks to Richard pulling some strings. Turns out, he saved the captain from a monster a couple years back and Richard decided to take advantage of the Nimmo's offer of a favor.

They were only a day away from Meridel, now. The boat would dock at the tiny port town known as "Sea Breeze". After that, they would walk a very short distance and sneak into Meridel. Then they would have to use the Launch Pad to get to the Space Station.

The sound of the toilet flushing filled the room. Hunter came out of the bathroom looking much better than before. "Ugh, I hate boats..." he moaned. He didn't sound better.

Jack stopped jumping on the bed and climbed off. "Hey, we have an entire day to chill! We finally get a break! No monsters and no more worries!" Jack declared with a huge grin. Jeffory nodded with a similar grin. It would be nice to relax. The day just started, after all.

Hunter didn't look as enthusiastic. "Ugh, a whole _day?"_ Hunter groaned, gagging as the ship moved up and down slowly. "I need the bathroom..." he muttered as he ran back to visit "Ralph". Jeffory sat down on his bed. "Someone should hang with Hunter for a bit. At least untill he's done..." he told Jack, who nodded. "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea. Who's staying?" he asked. "I am," Jeffory responded. Jack looked at him funny. "Why? You're not feeling gloomy again, are ya?" he asked suspiciously. Jeffory chuckled for the first time in a while. "Nah, I just feel like thinking a little. We face Kass tommorow, I wanna be prepared. I am the leader after all..." he told the Mynci. As soon as he did, he felt strange. He had never truly accepted being a leader untill now. His friends were counting on him. He couldn't let them down, not after all they had done for him.

Jack nodded smiling. "Alrighty, Commander!" he said with a joking salute. Jeffory grabbed his pillow and chucked it at the Mynci, who closed the door quickly. Jack's laughs could be heard as the pillow hit the door and landed on the floor with a thump.

Jeffory sighed laying down on his back. He stared absent-mindedly at the ceiling fan as the blades rotated at a dizzying pace. By this time tommorow, they would either be dead or victorious. He thought back to the team's first fight with him almost a month ago, now. He turned on his side.

_It's his fault that Kendra's hurt. Hell, she may be dead for all we know..._ He turned to his other side. _How would Jack feel if we lost her? How would Hunter feel? How would I feel? I can't let anyone else die... it's just too much... Too painful, it almost seems like a dream...Why couldn't Grey's death be a dream? Why couldn't Mom and Dad's...? Why do I even have to see people die?_ He curled up into a tight ball, his nails digging into his arms as he hugged himself. He hoped Kendra didn't die. Kendra was a part of their family. _Family... Will they all disappear like my other family? Will I be alone... again?_ he asked himself.

He thought back to his nightmare in Market Town.

_In his dream, he was standing in a pitch black area. He heard a cry for help, to his left. "Jeffory! HELP ME!" "Sam!" Jeffory called to the voice. Then he nearly had a heart attack. He saw Sam limp towards him. He looked almost EXACTLY like Jack, when he found him dying. "Why didn't you help me... Jeffory?" he asked sadly. _

_Jeffory shook his head. "No! I wanted to help you! I still do!" he cried. Sam began to turn to a skeleton. "Nooo... Jeffory, you're too late..." Sam whispered, as his skeleton fell to the ground, still. "No... nonononono!" Jeffory shouted, holding his head in his hands and dropping to his knees..._

Jeffory shuddered at that terrible memory. His heart ached as he realized that this dream could've been Sam trying to speak with him, like his parents. Was this Sam telling him he was dead? Or dieing? Was it too late...? Would Grey be contacting him later? He hoped that wouldn't be the case.

Once again, Jeffory felt the presence of the voice and adressed it. _I know, I know! Grey dieing was my fault! I was reckless, I don't need you reminding me, so shut up and get the hell out of my head!_ He snapped mentally.

_**Interesting. You finally stand up to me. It's too bad, though. The damage is already done, you're mine. Everytime you get angry, I will come out, there's no escape from hatred...**_ it growled chuckling wickedly. Jeffory shuddered. He could've sworn the voice had gotten more hateful. The way it growled was, if possible, even more viscious. It must've been gaining power. He had to be careful with his anger from now on. If not, HE might end up being the new menace destroying Neopia... Jeffory sighed again. Just one problem after another!

Jeffory nearly jumped out of his skin when Hunter came out of the bathroom, with a huge sigh. He had forgotten Hunter was there. Hunter gave him a weak grin, muttering "Hey, Jeff..." and walking to the sink to get a glass of water.

When he was done, Jeffory adressed him. "Hey, Hunt! Fresh air will do you some good, let's go outside," he told him. Hunter dropped the cup in the sink and nodded. "I hope the boat doesn't rock too much..." he whined. Jeffory chuckled. Obviously, Hunter didn't spend alot of time on boats.

They spent the whole afternoon running around the ship goofing off. Getting a chance to be real teenagers for the first time in almost a month. Just like Jack said, there were no monsters and no worries. Although, it grieved Jeffory to think that soon, it would all be over. They would take down Kass or die trying. Jeffory tried to convince himself that they would win, but as the time drew nearer, that seemed to become less of a possiblity.

It was sunset, now. Hunter had grown quiet very quickly. "Hey, what's up?" asked Jeffory looking at his friend. Hunter sighed. "Just thinking about what's gonna happen tommorow... If we lose, Kendra's sacrifice will be in vain. If we lose, Neopia's as good as gone. If we lose... I won't be able to be stronger... for Mary... It's just too much. To think that the outcome of this battle will decide the fate of our world... Too much..." So _that's _why he got so quiet. He was thinking about his resolve because of what happened with Mary.

"Hunt, we're gonna do our best. I want to be able to say 'we _will_ win' but that's just not the way it works. That's why all I can say is that we're gonna fight as hard as we possibly can... Even if we don't win, we'll still be able to weaken him. Someone else will take him down. Eventually. So... don't think of it as saving the world. Think of it as a sign. A sign of hope. Hope for the people of Neopia, so they know that there are people who are willing to fight for them," Jeffory finished his speech. Hunter looked at him for a moment before he broke into a wide smile. "You're right. Everything we've done is a sign of hope. Even if we die, our victories inspire people. After all, that's why the Defenders Academy exists. For hope," he said to the Kyrii.

Jeffory grinned and gave him a thumbs up. They fell into a comfortable silence and continued strolling along the ship's deck. Jeffory caught sight of Jack leaning on the ship's rail with a thoughtful look on his face. That's a first!

Jeffory jogged over to him with Hunter following. "Hey, Jack," Jeffory greeted the Mynci. Jack jumped slightly and turned around. "Oh, hey guys. You surprised me!" he chuckled weakly. Jeffory and Hunter shared confuzed looks. "We haven't seen you all day, man. Where've you been?" asked Hunter, tilting his head to the side making him look like a puppy. Jeffory nodded. "What's wrong?"

Jack sighed. "Kendra," he responded. Jeffory nodded. Predictable. "I know, man. I miss her too," Jeffory said softly. Jack's shoulders slumped. "It's not just that. I'm worried that she's not even... alive anymore. She was in terrible condition and there's no known cure for a Magician's Coma!" After his slight outburst, Jack fell silent. Jeffory put his hand on his friend's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, man. We've all been through alot worse. After you fought the Silver WIng, you almost died. And that was because you weren't getting medical attention. Kendra _is _getting the care she needs," Jeffory reassured him. Jack sighed.

"I know, man... it's just that I don't understand why this had to happen to her... She was always so tough and now she's bedridden," Jack said softly. Jeffory nodded. "I know. But that's just the thing, isn't it? She's tough, she'll get through this. And she won't do it alone. After we beat Kass, we'll go back to the Academy and we're gonna be with Kendra through this whole thing," Jeffory told him with a small smile. Jack seemed to brighten up after that. "Thanks Jeff, Hunter. C'mon, let's go back to our room and get room service!" Back to normal already. Thankfully, Jack could bounce back quickly. Jeffory and Hunter nodded enthusiasticaly.

"Ahhhh, yeah that hit the spot!" sighed Jack, finishing off his burger. "I really could use a slice of pie..." he muttered. Hunter rolled his eyes. "Dude, that's your second burger!" he said, bewildered. Jack shook his head. "Aw contray, my furry friend." he started. "Lunch and dinner. In one meal!" he declared. Hunter shook his head. "One: It's 'Au contraire', you idiot. And second: you'll get bloated. And I'm not cleaning up your mess," Hunter said, glaring at the Mynci. Jack stuck his tounge out. Jeffory watched the two in silence. He had been waiting all day for this. For them all to be back to normal. If Hunter wasn't feeling depressed, Jack was. Now, they could both bicker in piece.

"Alright, you two. Help me clear the table," Jeffory said, standing up. But not before taking one last bite of his burger.

Jeffory stared into the night sky. They were leaning on the railing again. It was just the three of them, now. Every other passenger had gone back to their rooms. Jeffory Jack and Hunter wanted to have a little longer to relax before the big fight tommorow. "12:30," Jack muttered looking at his pocket watch. Jeffory nodded. "Later on today, we'll be fighting Kass." Hunter looked at Jeffory. "This is gonna be a tough fight, for sure. But, we've been through worse. We _did_ survive our first fight with him. And we're stronger now," he told them.

Jeffory nodded. "Right. We have three against one now. And we're not just a bunch of kids anymore. We _are _stronger. Kass is gonna regret ever messing with _our_ team!" he declared, getting wide smiles from his friends. "Right. We're just too awesome to lose! Not to mention my gun is pretty bad-ass." Jack added. "Right, and my sword is cool, too." "And _I'm_ good at math!" Hunter finished. Fortunately, for Hunter, the other two were too pumped up to comment on his statement.

They fell into silence as a shooting star streaked across the sky. The sky they would be far above in the hours to come.

**Alright, there it is! I hope you enjoyed that one. The next one is going to get the action going again. I'll see you all next friday! R&R, please!**

**LaDude out.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Heyo! I'm back guys! Sorry it took a little longer; my computer broke! But as you can see, it's fixed. Well enough of my blabbering! Let it begin.**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 20: The Game Plan**

_Jeffory found himself in a dark cave. He felt strange. It was like his body was moving on its own. To his left, he heard footsteps, causing him to reach for his sword. "We had a deal, remember?" asked a female voice. "We're partners for the time being." Walking next to him, was a blue Kyrii. She had a pretty but serious face, and her maroon eyes were fixed forward. Even so, she was obviously awaiting a response from the young man. "Sorry," he said. Once again, his body did something else without his consent. Jeffory examined his "partner" for a minute. Unlike most Kyrii's hair, hers didn't go all the way down her back. Instead, her neat hair tied in a ponytail, hung over her shoulde, while some strands hung over her face, over her left eye. She had two earing on each ear. Jeffory's eyes slowly moved downward, examining her slender had black pants on. She wore a black sleeve-less V-neck shirt with an X crossing her chest. Jeffory's eyes lingered there for a minute, not realizing what he was doing. _

_The girl seemed to notice his eyes on her. "Yes?" she asked, sounding annoyed. She obviously knew he had been staring. "Uhhhh, nothing!" he responded, panicking. She glared at him. "Don't get any ideas," she growled. Jeffory blushed and nodded, feelng VERY embarassed._

_She moved past him. Jeffory's eyes landed on her double bladed sword strapped to her back. It had a red handle with a gear of sorts attacthed to it. The silver blades ended right above her behind. Once again, Jeffory found himself staring. He quickly snapped out of it, though. Now walking awkwardly,he slowly attempted to catch up to her._

The seagulls outside of the Fyora awoke Jeffory. He slowly sat up, rubbing his tired eyes before glaring at one of the birds flying by the window. He had been having a nice dream... _Any dream with HER in it is nice_ he thought. He layed back down, thinking about the pretty girl in his dream. Who was she? He also thought about the dream itself. The way it played out, it was like he was witnessing a future event. Compared to the things he had seen on this journey, a peek into the future was not very out of the ordinary. He thought back to her once again. She was really pretty... he thought about what he had last looked at, and ended up giggling. Oh God. All the stress was getting to him. MEN don't giggle.

"Jeff?" Hunter's voice from across the room snapped Jeffory out of his trance. "Why are you giggling like a schoolgirl?" he asked. Jeffory face-palmed. "Uhh... I was thinking about a dream I had..." Jack, who was groggily rubing his green eyes, instantly shot out of his sleeping posisiton. "Oh? What was this dream about, my friend?" he asked knowingly.

Hunter laughed at Jack. "Leave him alone, man. It _obviously_ has to do with a girl," Jeffory climbed out of his bed and attempted to get to the bathroom. "And judging by his giggling and strange walk, a _very_ hot one," he declared, giving Jeffory an evil grin.

Jeffory growled and ran into the bathroom. As he closed the door, he heard his friends uproarious laughter behind him. He also heard Jack get out between laughs "Puberty!" He walked over to the sink and splashed his face with the cold water, hoping to cool his face down. He needed a shower. A cold one.

When he exited the bathroom, he heard Jack talking with Hunter about what would happen when they returned to Brightvale. Jeffory knew as soon as he entered the room, he would get bombarded by his friends' jokes, so he put on a poker face.

He walked into the kitchen and his friends grinned wickedly. "You took a _long_ time in there, Jeff," Hunter teased. "Thinking about your "Dream Girl"?" asked Jack waggling his eyebrows. Jeffory pretended not to notice, walking to the freezer and sticking his head in, hoping to cool his burning face down. Hunter rolled his eyes.

Jeffory pulled his head back out and closed the door, looking serious. "We're gonna be at Sea Breeze in two hours..." he said. Jack and Hunter's grins disappeared as soon as they had come. They nodded slowly. "We should put a plan together," said Jeffory, getting nods from the other two. Hunter spoke up. "It's gonna take awhile to get the plan together. We should get ready for what's to come and use our last hour on the ship to put it together," he told Jeffory. Their leader nodded. "Okay, good idea, Hunt," Jeffory agreed, placing his head on the table.

Jack shouted: "I call dibs on the bathroom!" and ran towards it, slamming behind him when Hunter gave chase. The only thing that broke Jeffory's train of thought was the unmistakable sound of Hunter slamming into the door face-first. This was followed by a pathetic yowl.

"This would've been _so_ much easier with Kendra's help!" whined Jack, slamming his head onto the table. The three teens were attempting to put a plan together to infiltrate Meridell.

The plan itself was simple. Sneak into Meridell and liberate it. Figuring out how they would do so was the difficult part. On the table in front of them, was three monopoly pieces. A shoe, an iron and a car. "First thing's first," said Jeffory, picking up the car. "I'm the car!" he declared. Hunter swatted him with his paw. "I wanted the car!" he wailed. Jack reached over Jeffory's shoulder and took the car. "No, I'm the car! I am _always_ the car!" he told them. Before they prepared to pounce on him, he quickly said "Dibs!" stopping them in their tracks. Jeffory and Hunter both cursed. Jeffory reached for second best. The shoe, but Hunter took it, crying "Mine, I have it, no give backsies!" Jeffory resisted the urge to punch him, reaching for the iron.

"We need props..." muttered Jeffory looking around the room. Jack reached into his own pockets muttering things under his breath. "Here we go!" he started putting stuff on the table. "Gummy worms... moldy jelly beans, sock I found in Altador..." he said dropping the trash on the table. "This'll have to do," Jeffory muttered taking the stuff and assembling it around the table. When he was done, he looked at the other two. "Okay, here we go..."

"This is us," he said pointing at the monopoly pieces. "These are the robot guards at the gateway," he pointed at two gummy worms with their backs turned to the three pieces.

He moved the car behind them. "Jack is going to play sniper here. The robots can call for reinforcements with the satelite on their head. So Jack will shoot those off. Then, me and Hunter will destroy the robots, giving us access to the city," he told them. They nodded.

"After that, we will head for the orphanage," he pointed at the sock that was on the left side of the table. Hunter just made a weird face. "It's a sock...?" he asked. Jeffory gave him a death glare. "Shut it, nerd," he said, causing Hunter to fall silent. "We'll have to stake out there untill the robots move past. Once they do," he moved the monopoly pieces to the jelly beans. "We go to the terminal. At that terminal, we can cut off transportation from the Space Station. Like a teleport jammer." He then moved the monopoly pieces to the gummy worms.

"Then, we attack. We can wipe out the forces and liberate Meridell. "After that, we go to the launch pad," he pointed at the jelly bean in the center of the city. "We'll need a vehicle to get to the Station, though," he muttered. "I'm sure there's SOMETHING we can use," he shrugged.

Hunter and Jack nodded. "So take down the forces, get to the Station, rescue Sam and beat down Kass?" asked Jack. Jeffory nodded. "We should get ready to dock. We'll be at Sea Breeze in twenty minutes," the Kyrii instructed, getting a nod from Hunter. "Okay,"

An hour ago, the Fyora docked at Sea Breeze. Jeffory sat down on a patch of grass, staring up at the sky. "Up there somewhere, is Sam... and Kass. It's about time this came to an end," he muttered. Jack nodded. "Kass has been wreaking havoc for too long," Jack said, determination in his eyes. Hunter looked at them both. "Over that hill... Meridel's waiting," he muttered. Jeffory nodded. "Let's go. No time to waste," he ordered, getting nods from the other two.

Jeffory stood up, looking at his friends, his brothers in arms, his family. "You guys, I can't thank you enough for everything. Jack, you left Kendra behind to come with me, you risked your life more than once. Hunter, you used your airship to help us. You lost it in the battle at the Academy because of me. And you all fought with me against Kass, even though it was pointless..." he stopped abruptly as his voice cracked a little. Jack shook his head. "You don't have to pay us back _anything_ Jeffory. You're our friends. Friends stick together 'till the end," Jack smiled. Then, he grinned deviously. "But if you insist, I like video games!" he joked, slapping Jeffory on the back. Jeffory rolled his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. Hunter looked at him. "I don't say this often, but Jack's right. We're friends. And we stick together. If Kendra were here, she would've said the same thing," he reassured him.

Jeffory nodded, regaining his composure. "Thanks guys. Now let's go kick some Kass ass!" he declared, turning and running up the hill. Jack and Hunter cheered loudly as they ran after him.

When they reached the top, Jack and Hunter gasped in horror. The ruined city of Meridell. Jeffory was the only one who wasn't shocked. "I'm home..." he whispered.

Barren wasteland spread as far as the eye could see. Kass' reighn had not only effected the city, but the land around it as well. Jeffory had to admit, he was a little taken aback at the sight. He had never seen outside of the city due to the robots viscous attacks on people who got too close to the exit of the once grand city. Jeffory growled, clenching his fist. Jack and Hunter gave him worried looks. "He'll pay," Jeffory growled, walking down the hill and into the wasteland. Jack sighed softly. "I guess this is it, Hunt. You ready?" he asked the nerdy Kougra. He nodded. "Yeah... let's do this," he responded following their leader.

The wasteland was extremely cold. Jack rubbed his hands together as his teeth chattered. "J-Jeff?" he asked. Jeffory turned to look at him. "Hm?" he asked, also shaking slightly. "W-w-w-was it always this cold around he-h-here?" he questioned. Jeffory shook his head. "No. No, it was never this cold. Something must've happened to make the temperature drop like this," he responded. Hunter looked up at him. "Do you think it has to do with the Kass?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Jeffory's eyes narrowed. "Probably. That freak is the root of most of our problems," he growled.

"With the land becoming so barren, the monster's energy is gone. Monster energy makes the weather warm or cold depending on their species. All of the warm monsters probably died because of the vegetation dieing," Hunter hypothesized. Jeffory nodded. "You're probably right..." he muttered under his breath.

They drew nearer to the city. The wind blew loudly, making Jack shudder again. "N-not cool! Not cool at all!" he whined. "Actually," Hunter started. "It _is _cool! You're cold aren't ya?" he asked, smiling at Jack's distraught face. "I hate you, Hunter," Jack stated, walking past him and smacking him in the face with his tail. Hunter grinned widely. "Love you too, buddy!" he called after him, sarcasticaly. Jeffory resisted the urge to throw something heavy at them both. But at the same time, their bantering relaxed him. It reminded him that, despite all the things they had seen and done, they were still Jack and Hunter. It was at that moment, when he began to miss Kendra even more. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, she had woken up.

She had displayed a massive amount of power when she locked her magic with Kass', and even so, she _still_ was nearly killed. Thinking about magic made Jeffory think about his recent realization. He was a Magic User. He was the bane of Neopian's existence. What would happen once he learned how to use it? He could always ask Kendra... _if_ they both survived that long. He mentaly kicked himself for thinking that way. He wanted to say they would make it to the end. But what if they didn't? What if their attempt to free Meridell from the robots got them killed? He couldn't predict the future, but he _could_ try as hard as he possibly could to keep himself and the people he cared about alive.

After several more minutes of walking in silence, they made it to the bridge extending into the Meridel. It was terribly damaged. The stone bridge was missing pieces all over. Jeffory hoped they would even make it across the bridge without it collapsing. At the other side of the bridge, with their backs turned to Jeffory's team, were two of the robots from 11 years ago.

Jeffory got down low and snuck over to bridge. He crouched behind a piece of rubble, glancing at his friends. "Okay, Jack, it's your show now," he told the Myncy, who nodded looking determinated. He reached for his gun, and aimed at the small satelite on the top of the second robot's head. Jeffory brandished his sword and began sneaking across the bridge. Hunter followed as slow as his leader.

Jeffory was almost in range of the first robot. He would take out its satelite at the same time Jack shot the second's. Jeffory, paying too much attention to the robots in front of him, forgot to watch his footing. He ended bumping a small rock. The stone clattered away from him, bumping the robot's foot. The robot tensed, before whirling around only to see nothing.

Hanging off the side of the bridge, was Jeffory. In his left hand was Hunter's tail. as soon as the robot began to turn around, Jeffory grabbed Hunter and jumped over the side, avoiding being spotted by the robotic guard. Once it turned back around, they pulled themselves up.

Jeffory gave Jack a thumbs up, signaling him to shoot the satelite. As soon as the Myncy pulled the trigger, Jeffory swung his sword. The blade cut the satelite in half, while the blast from Jack's gun short-circuited the other's satelite. The robots whirled around, prepared to strike. The one on the left swung its blade-arm at Jeffory who blocked the blow with his own blade. Jeffory kicked it in the torso, denting it. Obviously, these robots were pretty old. The X24 lurched backward, giving Jeffory time to slash it in half.

Hunter was locked in a dance of sorts. Nimbly dodging the X24's sword in a rythemic way. Jack came running across the bridge, leaping at the robot and kicking it in the head, causing its noggin to spin in a full circle, giving Hunter time to wrap his tail around its leg and throw it off the bridge.

Jeffory slapped Jack a high-five. "Good shot!" he congratulated. Jack grinned widely.

"Thanks!" he responded, beaming. "Good job, Hunt," Jeffory told the Kougra, who grinned.

"Alright guys, this is it. Let's commence phaze two," Jeffory told them. They nodded. The team turned and ran into the city. The journey was coming to an end.

**Alright, guys. As you can see, the first story is almost finished. Only a few more chapters.**

**PLEASE review guys! LaDude out!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Alrighty, I am BACK! *sniff* I can't believe this story is almost over! It's been over a year since I started writing it. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 21: The liberation of Meridell.**

_CLANG!_

Jeffory's sword locked with that of a X24's. He pushed with all of his might, hoping to get the upper hand. Unfortunately for him, this robot was incredibly strong, managing to force him backwards with ease.

Jeffory let out groan of frustration. His muscles crying out in pain, Jeffory gave one last mighty push, actually knocking the X24 backwards and kicking it in the stomach, before jumping into the air, sword raised above his head, and ramming it into the robot's cranium. His enemy, sowrd through its cranium, flailed around for several seconds before laying still.

Jeffory climbed off of his foe and ran after another X24 in a gun fight with Jack, who was crouching behind a large piece of rubble.

Hunter tripped one robot with his tail, causing it to fall over with a loud clang. Another swiped at him with its blade, causing Hunter to move around like he did with the one on the bridge. Getting tired of the little dance, the X24 kicked Hunter in the face, knocking the wind out of him. The Kougra slid backwards, hitting his head yet again. This time on the remains of a building.

Hunter groaned, moving his head out of the rubble. He shook the cobwebs out of his head, gasping in terror when he saw X24 charging at him.

The robot was upon its prey in an instant, raising its sword, expecting to end the furry nuisance's life. Hunter closed his eyes, shaking harder than ever before.

What the robot didn't expect, however, was a shock blast hitting it in the back and short-circuiting it. It collapsed with a loud clang, making Hunter open up his eyes to find himself still in one piece. "Thanks, Jack!" he called to the Myncy who simply responded with a thumbs up before jumping on the back of a robot attempting to cut him in half, and holding its head still, allowing Jeffory to run it through with his golden sword.

Jack jumped off of the busted robot and latched onto a streetlight with his tail. He used the pole to propel himself at two more X24s and kick one in the head while shooting the other.

Jeffory followed, turning the robot Jack had shot into scrap metal within seconds.

He took a moment to catch his breath before looking around the street. X24s were strewn all over. Leaning against buildings with their limbs next to them, or halfway across the street.

Jack shrunk his gun and placed it in his pocket. "Whew... that's the last of them..." he muttered.

"For now," Hunter corrected, walking over to join his friends. Jeffory's ears perked slightly. "I hear them... There are more robots on their way. The orphanage is around the corner. We'll stop there and wait for them to pass," he told them. Hunter and Jack nodded. "Okay," they agreed.

So they quickly but quietly jogged over to an alley close-by and ducked into it. Behind them, was the back entrance of the orphanage. Jeffory could hear the humming of the robotic reinforcements. They had to wait for just the right moment. If they knocked on the door now, the robots woud hear them and butcher the three. That would be a _big_ flaw in the plan.

Jeffory grabbed the other two and ducked behind a dumpster. Jack slowly poked his head out, before quickly hiding again. "Man," he muttered. "there's about fifty of those things out there!" Jeffory cursed under his breath. "We _have_ to stop them from coming from the Station..." he whispered. They stayed behind the dumpster for awhile longer, making absoloutly sure the X24s had all went past. Once they did, Jeffory knocked on the door.

There was no response for awhile, so he knocked again. A voice called from behind it. "Go the hell away, scum!" it cried. Jeffory sighed. "Larry, it's me, Jeffory!" he hissed. "I don't believe you! You're a liar!" Larry responded. "Just let me in!" Jeffory hissed again.

"What's the password?" Larry demanded. Jeffory growled. "Pickled socks! Now open the damn door!" he snapped ignoring Jack and Hunter's confuzed looks after hearing him utter the sentence "Pickled socks". The sound of Larry unlocking several locks could be heard. Jeffory sighed. Talk about paranoid. But at the same time, it was pretty normal for people in Meridell to be so afraid of opening their doors. The door opened to reveal a young Nimmo wearing a grey sweater with black jeans, worn shoes and cracked glasses.

"Jeffory!" he greeted giving his friend a man-hug. "We were all worried about you, man!" he pulled back from the Kyrii and his eyes landed on Jack and Hunter. "Who are they...?" he asksed nervously. "This is Jack and Hunter," he told the tense Nimmo, pointing at the teens respectively. Larry nodded, shaking their hands. "Look, let's go inside before we do anything else. The robot goons will be checking this alley sooner or later," he told them, ushering the three inside before closing it behind him.

The inside of the orphanage was in worse condition than before. The floorboards creaked loudly under their feet, the doors were rusted all over, some glass was on the floor and what appeared to be limbs of robots were around. "What happened?" Jeffory asked Larry, bewildered. Larry sighed. "Kass' goons showed up a little while ago. They were looking for you... What happened?" he asked. Jeffory sighed. "I'll tell you in a little bit, where's Anna?" he asked. Larry sighed. "Treating the wounded," he told them. They moved out of the long hallway, walking into the dining room. Jeffory eyed the broken chandalier warily.

"We fought back against them when they began ripping the place apart. They acted like they thought we were hiding you..." Larry continued. Hunter spoke up for the first time in awhile. "Hey, how did you keep yourselves alive against them? They're really strong!" he exclaimed.

Larry grinned. "Ahh, they're stupid. All we needed were some baseball bats and water buckets," he chuckled. Jeffory rolled his eyes. _Still as resilient as ever, I see..._ he thought to himself. Larry, seeming to read Jeffory's mind, said: "It'll take more than a couple of robots to take us all down," he laughed.

As they walked into the dining room, Larry took on an uncharacteristically serious tone. "Where's Sam?" he asked. Jack, Hunter and Jeffory's eyes grew dark. Jeffory hung his head. "He-" Jeffory was cut off by a newcomer running into the room, tackling him into a hug. It was a female Acara, with long red hair pulled back into a ponytail, blue eyes, a slightly scarred face and a wide smile. She must've fought as well. She pulled back, smiling. "Jeffory, we're really glad you came back safely! We were so worried!" the girl said in one breath. Jeffory grinned, "Miranda, as you can see, I'm fine. Thanks, though," he told her. The girl, Miranda, glanced around the room. "Hey, where's Sam?" she asked, softly. You two are always together..." she added, as if sensing something was wrong. "Sam's... Kass has him," Jeffory told her, also turning to Larry, who's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "W-what? If Kass has him, what the hell are you doing _here?"_ demanded Larry.

Jeffory winced. "I don't honestly know. So much has happened since then," he told his friends, who looked horrorfied. "Jeffory, why the hell didn't you do something!" Larry demanded, grabbing Jeffory by the collar and shaking him, violently. Miranda grabbed Larry by the shoulders, trying to restrain him. Jack and Hunter helped. "Hey, hey hey! Just calm the hell down! It's not Jeffory's fault!" snapped Jack. Larry clamed down, slowly letting go of Jeffory's collar. "I'm so-sorry... it's just, h-how did you get away? Kass is..." he trailed off. Jeffory shook his head. "No guys, Lar's right. I should've done something more... Where's Anna? It's her son that's missing," he said. Miranda stared at him for a second before saying: "I'll go get her," and walked out the door.

They stayed in silence, standing in the middle of the room. Several times, someone tried to speak but decided against it. After several more minutes of agonizing silence, Miranda came back in with Anna at her heels. She gasped when she saw Jeffory and ran to him, engulfing him in a tight, motherly hug. "Oh, thank goodness!" she exclaimed, hugging him tighter. "What happened honey, you're a mess!" she asked Jeffory letting go of him. "My friends, Jack," he pointed at the Myncy standing around awkwardly "Hunter," he pointed at Hunter "and me fought some of the robots outside," he rubbed his tired arms. "It was tough but we're okay..." he trailed off as he examined Anna's face. She looked so tired... her face was tear streaked, her posture was off and there were bags under her eyes. "I'm sorry..." Jeffory told her softly. "I'm sorry you had to worry, I'm sorry that... that Sam's not with me," he whispered the last part, hanging his head in shame. He couldn't bear to see her face. "W-Where is my son...?" she whimpered. Jeffory stayed silent for a minute, steeling himself. He raised his head and looked her in the eyes.

"Sam is being held captive at the Space Station."

Anna's eyes immeadiately welled up with tears. Larry, who had been standing watching with a depressed look, grabbed one of the table chairs and helped the panic-stricken Kacheek to it. Once she sat down and composed herself (as well as she possibly could in her state), Jeffory cleared his throat. "I should tell you what happened..." he muttered.

Jeffory told her the whole story, leaving out Sam getting knocked around by Kass' energy. When he was done, she was in tears. Sobbing harder than even Kendra had over Jack's battered body.

"What can we do, Jeffory?" asked Miranda. Jeffory wiped a stray tear off his cheek and looked at her. "I'm going to the Space Station. I'm going to face Kass. But before I do, my friends and I need to shut down transportation for the robots to get back and forth between the Space Station and down here," he told them.

Larry, who had been silent for the whole story, excluding small gasps during Jeffory's tale, spoke up. "What can we do to help, Jeff?" he asked, standing up. "We're going to need a distraction for the X24s outside so we can get to the Signal Point and jam it. Any ideas?" Jeffory asked.

"We still have all those water baloons from Sam and yours prank you intended to pull on Mrs. Mikka. I think those would work," he said, grinning deviously. "Perfect!" Jeffory exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up.

So the plan was this: Larry and the orphans would distract the X24s from the roof of the orphanage by hitting them with water baloons. While the mechanical menaces were occupied, Jeffory and his team would sneak to the west side of the city and jam the Signal Point. After that, Jeffory and co. would grab a vehicle, hotwire it and use the launch pad to get to the Station. Simple, right?

Jeffory poked his head out of the ally, and scanned the surrounding area with his eyes. The X24s, had their backs turned to them. There were at least one hundred. More and more must've come when they were inside the orphanage.

Then Isaiah kicked everyone's ass! (Sorry my friend took my computer)

Atop the orphanage, Larry positioned himself at the edge of the roof. Water balloon in hand, he glanced next to him. Miranda gave him an encouraging nod. Next to her, several other students were holding their own multi-colored water ballooons. "Wait, til Jeffory gives the signal," he told them, getting affirming nods.

Below, Jeffory quickly took Jack's Shock Pistol and shot a blast into the sky. Like a flare. This would get the orphans' attention, but it would also get the robots attention, so the orphans would have to respond quickly.

As soon as Larry saw the signal, he turned to his friends. "NOW!" he shouted, hurling his water balloon at one of the robots, drenching it. The other children followed, short-cuircuiting all the robots they could hit dead-on.

Jeffory looked at Jack and Hunter. He tossed the Pistol back to Jack. "Okay. Let's go guys!" he ordered, running out of cover and turning right, avoiding the robots. When he heard Jack and Hunter behind him, he sped up. He looked over his shoulder, silently praying for his friends back at the orphanage to be safe.

From behind a pile of rubble, Jack stuck his head out, scanning the surroundings with his eyes. "Okay, the area is robot-free!" he declared. Jeffory nodded. "Okay, the Signal Point should be inside that building over there..." he pointed to a small, old building across the street with a pile of smashed robots outside it.

The team crossed the street cautiously, Jeffory bending down next to the pile of scrap.

"What happened...?" he muttered as he picked up a dented robot noggin. Next to him, Hunter shook hs head. "I don't know... these were recently destroyed. They're still sparking," he said, glancing at a robot with a large, fist-shaped hole in its torso. Jack's eyes widened. "Oooh, oooh!" he shouted, getting weird looks from Jeffory and Hunter. Not phazed in the least, Jack continued. "I bet some MMA fighter from planet X came here!" he told them, flashing them a huge grin. Jeffory looked at his best friend for a minute before quickly turning back to Hunter and the robots.

"I wonder if whoever destroyed these guys is still around here..." he wondered. Hunter shrugged. "I don't think it matters. We're here for the Signal Point, and the Signal Point only," Hunter reminded him. Jeffory nodded. "Right. Sorry," he said. Hunter told him not to worry about it and walked to the door. Jack, who was pouting about his friends ignoring his suggestion, was dragged over by Jeffory. Jeffory took out Arrow of Life and cautiously opened the door.

Fortunately, there were no robots waiting to kill them inside. The inside of the building was rather cramped, due to most of it being full of scrap metal and robot parts. Out of the corner of his eye, Jeffory noticed a supply table. This building was more of a tool shed than a Signal point... In the center of the room was a large complex-looking machine. Several wires extended from outlets scattered about the room to the back of the machine, many buttons were on a large keyboard on the front of it with a large monitor attacthed, and a satelite dish sat on top of it. This was, without a doubt, the Signal Point.

Hunter ran over to it in an instant. Jeffory followed him at a much slower pace. "How do we shut it down?" Jeffory asked him. Hunter began typing something in with his tail, growling when it beeped loudly at him. The words "PASSWORD" flashed across the screen in bright red letters. Jeffory sighed. "Do you know the password?" he asked, already knowing the answer. To his dismay, Hunter shook his head. "No, I don't... It looks like I'm gonna have to hack it," he told the Kyrii, who nodded. The sounds of rapid typing quickly filled the room but was soon drowned out by a strange whirring sound. Jeffory glanced around cautiously when he caught sight of Jack playing with the power tools. He was currently messing with a power drill. Jeffory rolled his eyes. Making a mental note on what to get Jack for christmas, he walked over to the childish Myncy.

"Jack, let's go stand watch," he told him. Jack looked devastated. "...Can I bring my...?" he held up his power drill hopefully. Jeffory sighed. "Yes, Jack. You can bring your power drill," he said. Jack let out a cheer of "HELL YEAH!" and ran over to the entrance, standing guard. Jeffory muttered "He's gonna get us killed..." and followed.

For several minutes, there was no sound but the rapid typing of Hunter, which would then be followed by a loud beeping sound, signalling his failure at figuring out the password. However, after five more minutes of this, a loud blaring sound echoed through the room. Jeffory quickly shut the door, hoping to muffle the sound as to not attract unwanted attention. Jeffory turned to Hunter to tell him to make it stop, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what the Signal Point was doing.

The satelite began to whir and shake, as it began let out a low humming sound. Jeffory slowly closed his eyes, and whispered "Shit" under his breath. The Signal Point was calling in reinforcements.

**Cliffhanger! So, sorry it took me so long; writer's block. But, I FINALLY got the story uploaded. So PLEASE review, and I'll see you all next chapter!**

**LaDude out.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, I'm back! This is a big action chapter, so it'll probably be longer than the last chapter. Enjoy!**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 22: Robot Riot**

The satellite began to whir and shake, as it began let out a low humming sound. Jeffory slowly closed his eyes and whispered "Shit" under his breath. The Signal Point was calling in reinforcements.

Hunter let out a death wail. "HOW COULD I SCREW THIS UP?" he cried. Jeffory growled and ran over to him, clamping his hand over the Kougra's mouth.

"Shhh!" he hissed. "Do you wanna get us killed?"

Hunter's eyes widened and he shook his head violently. Jeffory slowly took his hand off of Hunter's mouth.

All was silent outside. Had no one responded to the call? Did they manage to shut down the Signal Point after all?

No such luck.

A loud _CLANG_ sounded outside the building, making Jeffory and co. jump. Jeffory looked to his friends, silently mouthing "hide." They obliged, swiftly running to find a hiding spot. Jack hid under the tool table and Hunter hid in a corner. Jeffory hid next to the door, so when it opened, he could strike from behind.

They stayed frozen in their positions for what seemd to be hours. Then, the clanging sounded again. This time, it sounded closer.

_CLANG_

Closer.

_CLANG_

Even closer.

_CLANG!_

It was right outside the door now.

Jeffory gasped, but covered his mouth as the doorknob began to rattle. It stopped abruptly. Suddenly, it began to turn ever... so... slowly...

With a frightening _creeeeeeak_ the door began to open. Jeffory unsheathed his sword.

At last, the door opened, revealing a similar robotic Grarrl, just like on the Station.

It walked slowly into the room, seemingly not noticing Jeffory creep up from behind, sword raised. What Jeffory didn't count on, however, was the robot's head spinning around completely.

Jeffory froze. Within a split second, Jeffory was on the ground clutching his jaw.

It was then that Jack and Hunter sprang from their hiding spots, charging at the robot. Jack sent off a blast at his opponent, only to jump out of the way, as the robot deflected the shot. Jeffory slowly got to his feet, ignoring his wounded jaw, and slashed the robot's head off. He was instantly hit by deja-vu as its body fell to the ground, sparking, although it did not explode like the last time it had happened.

Jack jogged over to his leader and patted him on the back.

"You alright?" he asked. Jeffory muttered, "I'll live," before wincing and clutching his jaw again.

Hunter examined the downed robot, making several "Hmmmm" sounds. "Kass must've upped the defences on these things to an eleven! If he sends more of these down, we might as well kiss our butts goodbye!" he told them, sounding panicky.

Jeffory nodded. "Okay-" he winced, but shook it off, "-we need to get that Signal Point shut down! Hunter! Jack and I will go outside and hold off the attack! I'm gonna need you to hack that Signal Point!" he ordered. Hunter nodded.

As Jeffory and Jack ran outside, Hunter turned to the computer once again. "At long last, an opponent worthy of my divine hacking skills!" The Kougra ran over to the terminal and popped his knuckles.

"Let's do this! HUNTEEEER! TAGARRRIIIIIIIIIIIII!" (1) he cried.

* * *

Outside, dozens of robots were raining down at once, just like that fateful day eleven years ago.

Jeffory looked down at his trembling hand before clenching it into a fist. "This is for my parents!" he roared, charging straight into the center of the robot army.

Jack stared after his leader in disbelief. "Huh. Normally it's me running into a fight screaming."

He stood there for a couple more seconds, before he shrugged and followed his friend's example. "It's hurtin' time!"

Inside the fray, things were incredibly hectic. Jeffory had to alternate between running a robot through and ducking under their powerful saw-blades. Jeffory kicked one in the face, and then slashed one's body in half, following up with a sweep kick at another's feet.

Jack literally jumped into the mass of mechanical menaces, gun blazing while he hollered random nonsense.

Jeffory was in trouble. He had locked blades with not one, but TWO X24's saw-like arms, and he was slowly, but surely, wearing out. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see more and more of the robots closing in on him.

His knees began to shake and he felt a bead of sweat slide down from his brow and to his chin. Where the heck was Jack? Was he overwhelmed as well? Jeffory no longer heard the long stream of "Yo' momma" insults that were just oozing of... Jack-ness.

So tired... He was losing his vigor. One of the X24s that locked blades with him pulled back for a moment. Jeffory thought it had given up.

No such luck.

The robot reared back its arm and began pounding on Jeffory's Arrow of Life. Said Kyrii held up the blade to defend against it, catching the other X24 off guard with his swift movement, the force of the swing knocking it over.

Jeffory could feel the X24s surrounding him. Moving in even closer than before. The situation was made worse by the robot pounding on his sword.

At last, his knees buckled, causing him to collapse from exhaustion. He could do nothing as he was lifted into the air and hurled across the street, plowing through other mechs with incredible force.

Similar to Hunter, Jeffory hit his head on a building, the collision knocked the wind out of him. The robots were upon him, towering over his limp body. His life flashed before his eyes, as several of the X24s raised their swords challenging the others to strike the Kyrii first...

* * *

Inside, Hunter was typing faster than ever before. He input code after code, cursing in rage when the screen blared "Access denied" in red, bold writing.

He couldn't stand this! His teammates, his brothers in arms were outside fighting with all of their might, and here he was losing to an infernal machine! How could he allow this to go on? He had NEVER been outsmarted by a computer before. As he dropped an F-bomb at the screen, he absent-mindedly wondered if Hell had frozen over.

Back outside, Jeffory weakly raised his arm up in a pathetic attempt to defend himself from his unavoidable fate. He closed his eyes, awaiting death's cold embrace.

It never came.

A loud slashing sound reached his ears. A metalic screech soon followed, along with a loud _CRASH!_ Jeffory slowly opened his eyes, and his stomach lurched.

In front of him was a blue Kyrii. But that was not what surprised him, it was the appearance of said person. It was his "dream girl." Although, she looked younger than she had in his dream. She was clad in form-fitting armor similar to the soldiers that attcked the Academy a month ago, but her clothing had some slight differences. One being that it was purple in color with red outlines on the sides and grey symbols similar to the ones that Jeffory noticed were sewn onto Jack's sleeves. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"Well?" she asked. "Are you going to stand up?" Her stern-but-feminine voice made his throat tighten, and her piercing gaze made his face heat up. Even so, he got to his feet.

"Yeah... thanks for saving me," he said, after clearing his throat.

She shook her head. "Don't mention it. Just orders," she said. Jeffory couldn't help but feel somewhat... dissapointed by her response. She didn't seem to notice his saddened look or just didn't care, as she turned back to the horde of robots.

"We need to take out the Xs." She said simply.

Jeffory tilted his head to the side. "Xs?" he repeated.

The girl nodded. "Yes. A series of robots in the X series designed by Billius Kass 1. He had a secret store-room where he hid the data for the prototypes that was discovered by the Imperial Knights when they searched one of his bases. The data was hidden from the public, but recently, Dr. Sloth got his hands on them. He was murdered by Billius Drake Kass ten years later, after he had already created hundreds of models," she told him in a monotone without so much as a glance in his direction.

Without another word, she brandished her Twin-blade and ran into the fray, defeating robots left and right with grace and elegance that Jeffory had never seen before. Jeffory shook himself out of his trance-like state and ran after her, sword at the ready.

Jeffory cut down an X24 attempting to strike his savior from behind, causing it to fall to the ground, twitching violently. The girl did a back-flip, kicking a robot's head off while stabbing one at the same time. "Thanks," she said, landing on her feet behind him. "No problem," he responded.

"Who are you, anyway?" he questioned, backing up as X24s surrounded them both, saw-blades-arms whirring menacingly.

"...Anne," she responded, hesitantly, as she was now standing back-to-back with the male Kyrii. "And you?" she inquired, not taking her eyes off the robots.

"Jeffory," he told her, not hesitant in the least. He felt her nod. "Very well," she said.

"Shall we?" Jeffory asked, gesturing to the ever-growing army or robots approaching them, clanging loudly on the city streets. "We shall," she responded, leaping at an X24. Jeffory followed her example, attacking his own group of enemies.

He swung at one, only to have it dodge nimbly out of the way. Jeffory's eyes widened. That was new! But then he got a closer look at it as he swiped at it again. On its right arm was writing saying "X92". This must be one of the models Anne was telling him about.

Jeffory was going to have to think ahead if he wanted to beat this one. He faked a sword swing at it, causing it to dodge to the right. That was when Jeffory immediately changed direction of his attack, stabbing the 92 in the chest.

There was a dull thud next to him. Jeffory quickly swung to his right, fortunately missing Jack's head.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm on your side!" snapped the Mynci, from his crouching posistion. He returned to his full height and smacked Jeffory over the head.

Jeffory rubbed the back of his cranium, muttering a sheepish "Sorry..." Jack shook his head. "Ah, no harm done," Jeffory nodded. "Wait! Where were you? I had to fend for myself when you poofed!" Jeffory snapped, grabbing Jack's shoulders and shaking him violently. Jack broke free of the Kyrii's grip.

Jack pointed his gun over Jeffory's shoulder and shot one of the robots in the face, causing it to topple over and explode.

"Sorry! I had to make sure no more robots were heading towards the Orphanage. We don't need that place being attacked again!" he responded. Jeffory sighed a breath of relief. "Thanks, Jack. Look, I need you to go inside with Hunter and make absoloutly sure no Xs can get inside," he ordered. "Can ya do that?" Jack nodded enthusiastically. "Yessir! Jack's on the scene!" he cheered, running off towards the Signal Point.

Jeffory watched after his friend for a minute, hoping he hadn't made a mistake in telling him to guard Hunter on his own. _Jack can take care of himself. He knows what he's doing, _Jeffory thought to himself, turning to kick a robot in the torso.

* * *

Back inside, Hunter was beginning to sweat and hyperventilate. If one had looked at him, they would believe he had gone mad, or that he was at least on the brink of insanity. His eyes twitched rapidly, he was muttering nonsense under his breath and the tuft of hair on his head was very wild.

"C-c-can't... let...!" he wheezed. "Gotta get... THROUGH!" he shrieked. He banged his forehead on the keyboard.

A "BLING!" sound reached his ears and his head shot up. On the screen in bold, green letters were the words "Access granted." His eyes stopped twitching and he grinned.

"Oh, Hunter rules!" From behind him, a voice called out. "Hey, did you get through?" Hunter screamed in horror and head-butted the intruder.

"OW! What the hell, Hunter?" Jack asked, rubbing his gut as he got off of the ground.

Hunter sheepishly opened his eyes. "Heh, sorry. But yeah! I got through! I just need to jam the signal!" he cheered. Jack grinned. "That's awesome!" Hunter chuckled. "All in a day's work. Now, go back outside and help Jeffory while I finish this dinosaur!" he told the hyper-active Mynci, who nodded and ran back outside, closing the door behind him.

Outside, Jeffory was once again surrounded. "This is getting old," he muttered to himself, swinging his sword at one X who got too close. Behind him, one of the X24s dropped to the ground with a dull thud. Jack emerged from behind the robot and struck a "Charlie's Angels" pose. Jeffory rolled his eyes and struck one of the X24s.

"Y'know something..." he started, ducking under a robot's blade. "Hmm?" asked Jack as he shot at another.

"That pose really-" Jeffory kicked one in the head. "-works if you're a woman," he finished.

Jack shrugged. "It really fit the moment, though!" he complained. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with it!" he jumped on one X92s back and ran it through. Jack chuckled. "It's jus' my style!" Jack kicked an X24 in the face and shot another one who was about a second away from cutting him in half.

"So how's Hunter?" Jeffory asked casually. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Anne cut down two robots in one strike. Jack didn't seem to notice her, since he responded as casually: "Oh, good! He hacked the Signal Point! It should be shutting down in about..." he trailed off.

Suddenly, the robots began to shudder and stall in their movements. Then, they froze.

Jeffory looked around, bewildered. "What in the world...?" he asked. Next to him, Jack was in the same amount of confusion. "I... really don't know," he told the Kyrii. Then, they looked at each other with wide grins. "Hunter," they chorused. As soon as they said that, the robots all dropped to the ground, one by one. Anne looked a little irratated with this. She was probably enjoying herself.

She put her blade away, and jogged over to Jeffory and Jack. "What happened? And who is this... Hunter?" she asked. "A friend of ours. He shut down the Signal Point," Jeffory responded. Jack tilted his head to the side. "Who the heck is SHE?" he questioned. "Her name's Anne. Said her 'orders' were to help us out with the robots," Jeffory replied as he turned back to the girl.

"Thanks for the help, this is Jack," he told her, pointing at the Mynci who waved at her with his usual "Jack" smile. Anne nodded at him. Jeffory extended his hand to her. She just looked at it, perplexed. Now it was Jeffory's turn to be confused. "What's wrong? It's a handshake," he told her. "O-oh... yes. A... handshake," she said, hesitantly gripping Jeffory's waiting hand. He gave her a firm handshake. "Thanks again," he told her. She nodded, still staring at his hand.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. Before Jeffory could ask what she was apologizing for, she quickly said, "Go to the launch pad, your ride is there already." Then there was a bright flash.

Jeffory opened his eyes. "W-what was that...?" he asked. Jack was next to him, looking confused like him. "I dunno... I coulda sworn we were talking to someone..." he told his leader. "Yeah, me too! I thought she said to go to the launch pad..." Jeffory said. Behind them, Hunter emerged from within the Signal room. "Hey, hey... hey?" he asked. He was confused as to why his friends were standing there looking like they were drunk. "What happened to _you?"_ the Kougra asked.

"We jus' met someone. I think she helped us fight the robots, but I'm not... sure," Jack informed his confused friend. "Why did they just collapse?" asked Jeffory. "Oh, when I shut down the Signal Point, I also told the robots here and on the Station to go into hibernate! Pretty good, huh?" he asked with a huge grin. "That's great, Hunt!" Jeffory said excitedly. "Now getting into the Station should be a piece of cake! We have to get to the Launch Pad, now," he told them.

They nodded. "Right, Kass must've realised the robots shutting down so he'll probably be turning them back on soon," Hunter told them. Jack sighed. "No break?" he whined. Jeffory shook his head. "Sorry, Jack. We don't have the time right now," he apolgized. "We'll find somewhere on the Station, though," he told the tired Mynci, who's ears perked up slightly. "Okay!" he responded.

With that, they set off to the Launch Pad, tired and battered, but somehow, stronger.

**Okay, there we go. Next chapter we will FINALLY be on the Station. R&R please and I'll see you next time.**

**LaDude out.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Okie-dokie! Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew chapterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Enjoy!**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 23: A minor setback... again.**

After returning to the Orphanage briefly to thank the orphans for their support, they headed out to the Launch Pad, curious to find out what their "ride" would be.

Boy, were they surprised.

"MY BABY!" Hunter screamed, his voice echoing through the silent city. Jack unplugged his ears. "I can't freakin' believe it! It's the Air Slasher!" Jack exclaimed, shocked. Jeffory just nodded dumbly.

In front of them, in perfect condition, was the Air Slasher!

"She must've managed to shake the missiles, after all!" Hunter cheered, running over to the airship. Jeffory and Jack followed. "This is no coincidence," Jeffory muttered, shaking his head. ''What are the odds that we need a ship, and OUR airship appears, primed and ready to go _right next to the launch pad_?" Jeffory asked Jack. "One in a million," he responded in a second.

"I think that... person we met awhile ago, must've had something to do with this..." Jeffory muttered. Jack nodded. "She, at least I think she was a she, must've found it or something and brought it down here," he agreed.

Hunter turned to them, eyes flashing with anger. "No way! You guys are just doubting my baby's abilities!" he whined, turning back to "His Baby." "They're just upset because they can't ever do what you can do... yes dey areeee..." he cooed. Jack tilted his head to the side, and Jeffory just face-palmed. "Yeah, yeah. Just get us inside the scrap heap," Jack said, only to be called a very... colorful range of insults by Hunter. When he was done, Hunter opened the door and climbed in.

Jeffory was hit by deja-vu as he followed the Kougra inside, with Jack following.

The inside was in as good condition as the exterior, Jeffory thought, as Hunter ran around the room almost in tears about the Air Slasher being as amazing he remembered. Jack sat down in the artillery chair, raring to go. "Hold your horses, Jack," said Jeffory, sitting in the co-pilot's chair. "we need to make sure the ship is working," he told the Mynci. "IT WILL WORK!" snapped Hunter, sitting in the pilot's chair. "It will work..." he muttered, more to himself than the others. Jeffory held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry..." he told the Kougra.

They stayed in silence for several minutes, when Hunter let out a loud cheer, making Jeffory jump and Jack bang his elbow on the armrest. "What, what, what?" asked Jack frantically. "It _works!"_ Hunter exclaimed, before muttering "Not that I doubted it..." As soon as he said that, the Air Slasher roared to life. "Alright! Let's get to the Station!" Jeffory said excitedly.

Hunter nodded. "How does this thing work?" he asked Jeffory, who was looking out the window. "Just move the ship onto it. It'll count down and then we'll take off," Jeffory explained to his friend. "Okay." Jeffory could feel the ship moving onto the pad. Then, just like he remembered the voice sounded. "Launch in..." Jeffory closed his eyes. _I'm comin' for you, Kass. Just you wait..._ he thought to himself.

The voice monotoned that it was time to "LAUNCH," and they did. Jack began screaming at the top of his lungs, clutching the seat. Even Hunter let out a shout as they were propelled upwards. Jeffory, however, was used to this and was also too caught up in how they would deal with Kass once they got to the Station. Planning was critical, after all.

"Hunter!" Jeffory called to the Kougra, whose eyes were clenched shut. "What?" he called back. "Pay attention to the Station! Kass might know we're coming!" "Okay!" Hunter shouted, pushing the joystick forward, causing the ship to lurch to the side, avoiding an asteroid. "And watch out for asteroids," Jeffory added as an afterthought. Jeffory lookd at Jack, who nodded and prepared to shoot anything that got too close for comfort.

The trip was not very eventful. They cruised on through the reaches of Space for about 20 minutes, making idle conversation to keep themselves from thinking about the upcoming battle. To tell the truth, they were all dreading it. The horrible memories from their last battle with Kass were still fresh on their minds.

Jack thought about Kendra, how much he missed her, the way he felt about her and the how he felt when he saw her in a coma. Was she even alive...? No! He couldn't even think about that. What would he do if she did die, though...? Would he ever recover from losing someone like her? Could he even handle it? The harder he tried not to think about that, the more he did. _Kendra, please don't make me go through that... please don't leave us- ME behind..._

Hunter thought about Mary. To be honest, everytime he saw any kind of technology he thought about her. His past self that was too foolish, too childish to even think about how stupid it was to take a girl with asthma into a dusty store room. What a fool he had been. He absently wondered, would she ever forgive him for letting her die? Would he ever forgive himself? Would he even see her again, or was he bound to go to hell for his sin? _I don't deserve forgiveness. I should've been the one to die, not her... Can you ever forgive me?_

Jeffory thought about the person back at Meridell. The more he thought about her, the more he could remember her. Her appearence was still too blurry, but he coulda sworn he saw her before. Why did everytime he thought of her, make him think about the girl he saw in his dream? Why did the girl even show up in the first place? Something about... order...s?

He also thought about Sam and his parents. He had more or less accepted his parents' deaths. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that maybe... they were too late. Was this trip all in vain? No. It wasn't in vain. Kass will pay! _Damn you, Kass. I will destroy you._

Suffice it to say, everyone was miserable. However, all of their trains of thought were smashed at once as the ship lurched violently. "What is that, Hunter?" asked Jeffory, looking out his window.

"It's coming from the Station!" he responded, doing a barrel roll out of the way of a laser. "They're firing at us!" He exclaimed, pulling a sharp turn. "Well, let's fire BACK!" shouted Jack, opening fire at the Station. Jeffory looked out of the window and saw several more lasers coming right for them. "HUNTER!" "I KNOW!" Hunter shouted, jerking to the left and flying under another. "Jack, take out those cannons!" Jeffory oredered. "Yessir!" responded the Mynci, surprisingly serious. Jeffory mentally cursed himself. How could he not even think about this? He was too caught up in thinking about taking down Kass... Damn. It didn't matter now. All he could do was keep an eye out for more danger.

Hunter cursed when he saw several fighters come from the Station and head right for them.

"Crud! Jack, get on those fighters!" Hunter called to Jack. "Roger!" Jack shouted back, shooting one that got a little too close. "Damn! They're gonna ram us!" Jeffory shouted. Indeed that was what they seemed to be doing. "Not on my watch!" snarled Hunter, barrel-rolling out of the way of one kamikaze fighter. Jack proceeded to shoot another out of the way.

_Kass must be getting worried... he's throwing everything at us! _ Jeffory thought, clenching his fist. "Kass... you psycho."

The remaining fighters changed shape. They took on a form with two turrets on the front, and two missle launchers on the side. "Jack, can you take out the missile launchers?" asked Jeffory, trying to stay calm. "Is my fur blue?" he responded, aiming for the missiles. A minor problem was several missiles coming for them. "Oh God!" cried Hunter. "DO A BARREL ROLL!"(1) shouted Jack. Hunter obliged, jerking the yoke to the left. "Guys!" shouted Jeffory to them. "We need to retreat, we can't take this many on!" he told them. Hunter nodded. "We'll have to land on Kreludor! They've driven us too far from the Station anyway!" Hunter told his leader.

"Okay, we'll find shelter there if we have to," Jeffory told them, grabbing hold of his seat as the Hunter forced the ship into a steep dive. At the last minute, Hunter turned into a sharp u-turn. With some luck, he managed to shake the remaining fighters.

The trio remained ridiculously stiff for several seconds, before relaxing with heavy sighs.

"T-that... was too close!" Hunter gasped. Jeffory weakly nodded. "Let's not do that again. Ever," he told Hunter, who seemed very happy at the idea. Jeffory was half-expecting Jack to scream about how awesome it was, but instead, the Mynci was as silent as he had been before the attack. Jeffory sighed. Hunter was quiet, too. The silence made Jeffory think, once again, about the battle at Meridell. _Who the heck was she?_ he asked himself mentally, as the Air Slasher began to land on Kreludor.

Jeffory looked out the window. "Okay, slight problem: we don't have oxygen masks. And Kreludor is outside..." "Not to worry! I have something perfect for this situation!" Hunter announced.

Ten minutes later, they exited the Air Slasher wearing... fishbowls. Well, fishbowls enhanced by Hunter to hold oxygen. "Okay," Hunter said, his voice muffled by the bowl on his head. "These will not last very long, about an hour and a half at best. So, we need to find some sort of shelter before the oxygen runs out," he looked around at his friends. Jeffory was listening intently and Jack was poking at Jeffory's fishbowl. "Any questions?" Hunter asked. Jeffory squawked loudly at Jack. "Don't tap the glass! It freaks me out!" Hunter gave him a weird look. "Anyone...?"

"Yeah," Jack said, moving away from Jeffory when he gave him a death glare. "How do we know if there are any places we can find shelter on this planet?" he asked. Hunter shook his head. "One, this isn't a planet. It's a moon of sorts. Second: There are the Kreludor Mines located here that will definitely have what we're looking for," he told them.

Jeffory spoke up: "What are we looking for?" "Stronger cannons. We need to enhance the Air Slasher; we can't infiltrate the Station like this. Now c'mon, we are wasting time." And with that, they set off, in hopes of finding a way of infiltrating the Space Station relatively unscathed.

They wandered the "moon" for about half an hour, trying to ignore Jack's stories about "Krelians," Jack's Kreludor versions of Martians. "-And they have the head of a leopard! But they have a body of a T-rex! Cool, huh?" asked Jack happily. Jeffory kept his eyes focused ahead, looking for the mines. Hunter glared at Jack. "I have a story to tell _you_ now," he told him. Jack looked confused. "What is it?" he asked happily.

Hunter grinned wickedly. "There was a Mynci, once. He had a talking problem. Meaning he never shut up. Guess what happened to him?" Hunter asked Jack. "Uhhhh..." Hunter cut the curious Mynci off. "He spent the rest of his days floating in space, as the oxygen slowly left his body. His eyes dried up and fell out of his body, as his body shriveled up and turned to dust," Hunter finished.

So they spent the next twenty minutes walking in peaceful silence. Jeffory was becoming uncomfortable with the bowl on his head. It was kind of... tight. It was pressing against his hair in a very irratating way, and his snout was too long so he had to force his head to look at the ground while simply using his eyes to check out his surroundings.

Next to him, Jack was tapping his own fishbowl, jumping everytime he made contact with it.

"Y'know what I just figured out?" he asked. Hunter sighed. "I'm sure you're gonna tell us..." he groaned. Jack ignored him. "If you tap on your own fishbowl-" he tapped it again, scaring himself "-it doesn't scare you as much as someone else doing it!" he told them, grinning widely. Jeffory sighed. "You are a weird guy, you know that?" he asked the Mynci, who at last stopped with the fishbowl to talk to him. "Yeah, I do," he responded. "what's your point?" he asked his leader. "I-... nevermind," Jeffory told him, rolling his eyes in amusement.

After several more minutes, they came across a large, metal door. There was a keypad next to the door, with words saying "Please insert passcode" on the screen. "I think... we found the mines," Hunter told his friends. Jeffory nodded, approaching the door and examining it closely. "Doesn't look like we're getting there anytime soon," he sighed. "I don't think we have the time for Hunter to hack it," Jeffory said, with an annoyed groan.

Hunter scoffed and made his way past Jeffory. "You are too quick to give up, my furry friend. Observe!" Hunter said, starting to type as he spoke. Jack shook his head. "Man, the defenses on this thing are probably really, really strong! They've probably got firewall on top of firewall and-" he was cut off, as a loud beeping sound reached his ears.

"I stand corrected," Jack said softly as the door opened with a loud _Hiss!_ reavealing an elevator. Hunter grinned, and strutted into the elevator. "You doubt me, my ape-like friend!" he boasted. Jack gave him a glare and walked into the elvator. Jeffory shrugged and followed.

"Way to go, Hunt!" Jeffory congratulated as the door closed and the elavator began moving.

Hunter grinned. "All in day's work!" he said, with a huge grin.

After a couple of minutes, the door opened with a "BRING!" sound. Jeffory cautiously walked out into the area. It looked exactly like he thought a Space Mine would. Large, steel doors left and right, beautiful crystals and gems littered the walls and it was very dank and dusty.

"It looks safe, guys," Jeffory told them as they slowy exited the elavator. As soon as they did, it slammed shut behind them. "HEY!" shouted Jack turning back to it. "Don't go! We need... you..." he whined as the sound of the elevator returning to the surface filled the room.

"Looks like the only way we can go from here is forward, guys..." Jeffory told them as he turned back to the mines. Jack nodded. "Well, let's go!" he said running into the mines.

Hunter looked at Jeffory. "Where is everybody?" he asked, not at all concerned about the Mynci.

Jeffory looked down at the Kougra. "I dunno..." he responded. It was strange, though. The Mines were almost always occupied with busy Grundos running to and fro. "But what I do wanna know... Can I PLEASE take this damn fishbowl off?" he begged. Hunter nodded. "We're within the surface, now. The oxygen will probably taste weird but it's safe," Hunter told him.

Jeffory let out a relieved sigh, and pulled the fishbowl off his head. He took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Phew!" then he made a weird face. "All this dankness in dank..." he muttred doing weird things with his mouth. Hunter chuckled. "Can you get mine off?" he asked. Jeffory obliged. "Okay, let's catch up to Hunter!" Jeffory said, running after the Mynci, with Hunter in pursuit.

After walking through the mines for about twenty minutes, it began to look like the miners hadn't just left. It looked like they had been scared off, in fact. Many mine carts were destroyed, while others were toppled over, their contents laying all over the floor. Not to mention there were some robot parts scattered around. Jeffory wondered if Kass had some of his cronies invade the place. But what would they be after? There's nothing of all that much value in this place. Kass was obviously pretty rich, so he would have no need for crystals and gems.

As they walked deeper into the mines, a voice called out to them. Jeffory and the others froze. "Who goes there?" it asked. The voice was gruff and sounded like the speaker was not to be trifled with. The trio stayed silent, slowly backing up. "I SAID, WHO GOES THERE?" the voice practically shook the cavern. "Jeffory Knights!" Jeffory finally responded, still backing up. He heard a very audible gasp.

"THE Jeffory Knights?" the voice asked, much quieter than before. Jack and Hunter gave their friend odd looks. Jeffory just shrugged, as confused as they were. "Uhhhh... yes?" Jeffory responded to the voice.

The speaker was revealed, as a large, Split-colored Skeith with green eyes, a toothy smile and dressed in a miner's uniform. He let out a hearty laugh upon seeing the Kyrii. "I can't believe you are really here!" he thundered, running over to them. "I've heard quite a bit about you, boy! And you two as well," he said, looking at all three teens.

"Um, how exactly?" asked Hunter, confused. "Ahh, from Kass the ass, of course!" he told them, turning back the way he came. "Now c'mon, there are a lot of guys who will wanna meet you boys!" he told them, disappearing around the corner from which he appeared.

Jeffory just gave his friends weird looks. "What just happened?" he asked. Jack rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, bewildered. Jeffory and Hunter just gave him weird looks.

"We're celebrities!" cheered Jack, running after the Skeith. Jeffory sighed. "C'mon!" he said, dragging Hunter along with him.

**Okie-dokie, that's the end of this chapter. Next chapter will AT LAST... cover the Space Station. So R&R and I'll see you all next chapter. No seriously, R&R.**

**LaDude out.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Heyo! I am back with a new chapter, yet again. I must say, I am kinda disappointed. I was hoping for some reviews! Please review guys! Enjoy!**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 24: Infiltration.**

They followed the Skeith for about twenty minutes through the dark, eerie mineshaft. Jeffory nearly jumped out of his skin when Jack accidentally bumped into him.

After some more minor scares and some major freak-outs from Jack and, occasionally, Hunter, they made it to another steel door with a password input next to it. Jeffory felt somewhat uneasy. What could be beyond this door? Was it a foolish idea to follow this man after all? What did he mean by "the guys will want to meet you"? Was it a trap?

While he was beginning to panic at the many, many possibilities, the miner input the password and the loud "BEEP" made him jump out of his skin. Jack gave him an odd look. "Hey, you okay? You seem a little... jumpy."

"I-I'm fine... nothing to worry about..." _I hope_... he added the last part to himself mentally.

The door opened with a loud hiss and the miner stepped through. "Well, c'mon then!" he called to the hesitant teens. "We don't have all day! Can't leave this door open too long, or the tunnel devils might get in," he told them in an eerie tone. Jack freaked, and ran into the now-open door. Jeffory and Hunter shared a look. "I guess we go through..." he muttered to his friend. Hunter nodded. "Maybe you should..." Hunter mumbled. Jeffory nodded, grabbing a hold of his sword's handle. "I know," he responded, before walking through the door.

They moved through a dark hallway. Jeffory grew even more hesitant to move forward. Next to him, he could feel Hunter tense. Even Jack, who had been running ahead, was slowing his pace. The Skeith, however, didn't slow down in the least. If anything, he was speeding up.

As they traveled further into the darkness, Jeffory sped up slighty and grabbed Jack's shoulder. Hunter, feeling Jeffory stop, came to a halt. Jack was looking at Jeffory with a confused look. "What's up?" asked the Mynci. Jeffory made sure that the Skeith was out of ear-range before looking back at his friends. "I don't know where he's taking us. Something doesn't feel right at all," he told them. "Stay together and keep your weapons ready, got it?" He ordered. The two nodded; Jack was already holding his gun.

So they continued in silence. At last, they reached the end of the tunnel. "Here we are!" said the Skeith happily. Jeffory reached for his sword. "The guys are on the other side!" The Skeith seemed completely unaware of the growing tension in the room, as he knocked rhythmically on the door.

Silence. The only sound that was heard was the slow, deep breathing of the future-defenders.

After 20 tortuous seconds of waiting, the door opened, revealing a very familiar face.

"Mr. Demente?" asked the teens, baffled. A dull thud could be heard as Jack dropped his shock pistol on the metal floor. "WEEEEELLLL, look who it is!" he squawked loudly. "What are you doing here?" asked Jeffory, confused. "My intuition tells me out here is not a good place to discuss this," he said, looking around rapidly. "Comeincomeincomein!" he ordered excitedly.

Jeffory looked at his awe-struck friends. Hunter's jaw was still on the ground and Jack was staring blankly at his dropped pistol. "I guess we go in..." muttered Jeffory, grabbing Jack's shoulder and shaking him back into reality.

"Alright, spill! What's going on?" asked Jack, leaning forward in his chair. Jeffory and Hunter nodded, agreeing with their friend. Demente leaned forward as well, staring at them.

After several seconds, Jeffory blinked.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" screamed Demente, jumping out of his seat and pointing an accusing finger at Jeffory, who recoiled. "YOU BLINKED!" he cackled. Jeffory just stared at him. Jack face-palmed. "Saw that coming..." he muttered into his hand. Hunter rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Demente! What's going on? Why are you here? Why is this place hidden inside the mines?" asked Hunter. "Why are you insane?" added Jack. Demente stopped his touch-down dance and sat back down.

"Well, to answer the first question, my mother just married some loser who smells like a swamp, my girlfriend cheated on me with a jock and I've got a rash on my-"

"STOP!" shouted Jeffory, covering his ears. "He meant what's the current situation!" he groaned.

Demente stared at him for a moment before clonking himself on the head with his fist. "OOOOOOOOOOH... well, the situation is that Kass is planning another attack on the Academy, since they refuse to tell him anything about your whetherwhere!" Hunter opened his mouth to tell Demente that wasn't a word, but Jeffory clamped a hand over his mouth.

"The second answer is that some Scorchio came up and told me he couldn't find you guys! He said something about wanting Mr. Tagar-gar here to do a history report for him! SO! I contacted this place here to ask them if they might have seen you!"

"Wait," Jeffory said. "How come you thought we'd be here?" he asked.

"OH! Grey told us teachers that you might try and escape the Academy to break into the Pace Stature! I think it was before he took that long nap..." Demente told them.

Jeffory groaned. Grey knew all along about Jeffory's plan to sneak off. It was foolish to belive that he could sneak out of the Academy, unnoticed.

"The THIRD answer is that I'm here because they told me they picked up your DNA from their scanners! So I came up here right away to help you all out!" he told them.

"Oh and to answer that last one, I'm not insane, I'm troubled!" he finished.

Jeffory silently mulled everything he said over in his head. But the only thing he could really think about was that Kass was planning another assault. The school faculty and students were still recovering from the last one! If they were attacked now, they would have no way to fight back.

"We need to get into the Space Station. Now," Jeffory said, getting to his feet, startling Jack and Hunter.

Demente nodded. "RRRRRight! Go back to that room over there!" he told them, pointing at a sliding door to the his right. Jeffory got to his feet and ran out of the room, Jack and Hunter following.

"Thanks, Demente!" Jeffory shouted over his shoulder at his teacher.

"ANYTIME, Johnny!" he shouted in response.

Several scientists jumped out of their skin and others spilt their coffee when a young Kyrii burst into the room. Jeffory looked around, sheepishly. The people continued to stare.

Suddenly, they all got up and applauded. Several even shook his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Knights! We were hoping you would come!" cheered a Pteri in a small lab coat. "Kass told us all about you!" he continued. Jeffory just stared. He didn't even feel Jack and Hunter come in and bump into him from behind.

Why were they clapping for him? What was so special about him?

As if reading his mind, the scientist that greeted him earlier spoke. "We've wanted to meet you for so long because you're the first person to stand up to Kass! And survive! You're a beacon of hope to all of us, Mr. Knights."

Jeffory rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks... but please, just call me Jeffory."

Another scientist, a Lupe, walked over to him. "Is there anything at all we can do for you?" he asked hopefully. Jeffory nodded. "We need to get into the Station! Kass is planning on attacking the Academy again. I- WE have to stop him," he told them, looking at his friends.

"We know exactly what you need. JASON! MARIA!" the Lupe screamed over his shoulder. Hunter let out a loud gasp as two Kougras came out from a steel door. The male was a blue Kougra with grey eyes and a stern-but-gentle face, and the female was smaller than the male with black eyes, glasses, red fur and a motherly face.

"Mom, Dad!" shouted Hunter, running over to them. Jack and Jeffory's jaws dropped.

"'Mom, Dad?'" they repeated at the same time. They looked back to where Hunter and his parents were, to see the door close. They looked back at one another before following the Tagaris.

Inside the room, Hunter was bombarding his parents with questions, who were answering them calmly. "...Then we got to Market Town, I went back to the house and you were gone!" Hunter blurted, gasping for breath. Maria moved over to her son and embraced him. "I'm so sorry, dear... After you left, we tried to find you. We sent out search parties and we looked everywhere. We never even considered that you would be at the Academy..." she sighed.

Jason nodded. "Eventualy, some people showed up at our doorstep, telling us they could find your tracking chip on their computer. We had so much trouble finding your chip, though... eventually it became appearent that you had deactivated it," he said, looking sternly at his son.

Jeffory's jaw dropped. Was it even... possible to deactivate a tracking chip? Probably wasn't even a challenge for Hunter, though...

Hunter sighed. "I didn't wanna be found. When I was ready, I would come back to you guys. I was tired of being kept in the stupid mansion for so long! I wanted you to accept me for who I was! I liked inventing things, but you never even gave my inventions a second glance!" Hunter snapped, his eyes becoming full of anger. "'You need to uphold the family name!'" Hunter mocked, shaking his head.

Jeffory glanced at Jack and they slowly backed out of the room. They obviously needed to talk to their son privately and Jeffory didn't want to intrude. In fact, it didn't seem like the Tagaris even noticed the teens' presence...

It had been about an hour. Jeffory began growing impatient. He knew Hunter needed to discuss things with his parents, but the longer they waited, the more danger the Academy was in. But still, Jeffory never knew how bad things were between Hunter and his parents. Maybe that was why Hunter rarely, next to never, mentioned them.

Jack drummed his fingers on his chair's armrest, his impatience showing in his face. "I know Hunter needs time to talk to his family, but the Academy-" Jack started. "-'s in danger," Jeffory finished for his friend. They looked at each other and came to a silent agreement.

They got up and walked over to the door, only to be surprised when the Tagari parents walked out and straight past them. They walked over to a couple of scientists and conversed with them quietly. After a couple moments, the Tagaris and the other two left the room. Jeffory stared for a second.

"C'mon, Hunter's still inside!" said Jack, dragging his friend after him, only to bump into Hunter who came out of the door right as they approached it. There were unshed tears in the Kougra's eyes and his friends looked at him in concern. They stood there awkwardly for several minutes. Finally, Hunter spoke. "Hey... guys!" he greeted, trying in vain to sound cheerful.

"You okay?" asked Jack. "I will be..." Hunter responded, giving his friend a weak grin. "My parents went to go fix the airship! In about an hour, we can head to the Station. They're going to install some new shields and some cannons. That way, we can survive enemy fire from the Station and be able to fight back!" he told them with false enthusiasm.

Jeffory sighed. "Don't push yourself, Hunt. If you need some time alone, we'll let you have some," he told the Kougra. Hunter's fake smile disappeared and he nodded. "Thanks, guys..." without a second glance back to them, he walked into the room marked "Infirmary".

Jeffory sighed. "Poor Hunter... it looks like he still has some unresolved business with his parents. I don't have the 'luxury'," Jeffory said to Jack. He nodded. "Yeah, same here. My parents couldn't wait for an excuse to ship me off..." Jack muttered, lowering his head in shame.

Jeffory sat down in his chair. After several seconds of staring at the floor, Jack followed him.

"Hunt never said anything about his parents. He was sad when he couldn't find them when we went to Market Town, though..." he muttered. Jack stayed silent, thinking. After a moment he nodded. "Maybe he wanted to resolve these issues with them. Y'know. It was a dangerous mission we were on. Knowing Hunter, he was probably afraid he might never get a chance to even see them again," he pondered.

"Yeah..." Jeffory muttered. "Speaking of dangerous missions, in about an hour we're gonna be fighting Kass. Are you sure you still wanna do this? You can still go back to Meridell," Jeffory offered. "No," said Jack, firmly. "I told you: we're a team. You're my best friend! Besides, I could never face you guys again if I chickened out. I could never live with myself if Kass killed you guys and I could've prevented that! So no. I'm not leaving. We're in this thing together," Jack told him. Jeffory nodded. "Thanks, Jack. Tell you what: I'll let you take the credit for defeating Kass. That way you can have the bragging rights for your girlfriend!" he joked, clapping the Mynci on the back.

Jack's face turned red. "She's not my girlfriend. Yet," he said with a grin. Jeffory laughed. "Getting a bit ahead of yourself?" asked Jeffory, ducking under a light-hearted swing from Jack. The two then entered a comfortable silence, simply waiting for Hunter.

After twenty minutes, Hunter came out of the Infirmary, using his tail to wipe his eyes.

"Hey," he said simply. Jeffory and Jack nodded. He came over and sat down next to them, sighing. "My... parents come back yet?" he asked, hesitating to use the word "parents". Jeffory shook his head. "Not yet. It's only been twenty minutes," he told the Kougra.

"Oh," muttered Hunter, looking at the floor. "It felt like longer than that..." he told them, sighing once again.

Jeffory gave Jack a "talk to him" look. The Mynci's eyes widened and he mouthed "YOU talk to him". Jeffory gave him a death glare, but the Mynci shook his head, vigorously. Jeffory pointed a finger at Jack and then began pounding his fist into the palm of his own hand. Jack put up his hands in self-defense, and turned to Hunter, making sure to flip Jeffory off when he turned away.

"How YOU doin'?" he asked Hunter, who gave him a sad look. Jeffory face-palmed.

Hunter just looked at him for a minute before sighing. "It's just... I wanted to see my parents but at the same time the only REAL reason I wanted to see them was so I could tell them how I felt... and now I wish I hadn't," he told them.

Jeffory and Jack looked at each other awkwardly. They hadn't had to deal with something like this with THEIR parents. Jeffory didn't have any and Jack never really spoke to his parents anyway. In other words, they had no idea what they could say to ease their friend's mind.

So, they sat in uncomfortable silence. Jeffory placed his head in his hands. This wasn't how he wanted his team to be before the big battle. They couldn't afford to be distraught - not now! If they went into battle like this, they would be splattered on the walls in an instant.

He let out a low groan as a familiar voice began speaking to him.

_**What ever will you do, oh mighty leader?**_

_Oh God, just shut up! _Jeffory snapped mentaly, shaking his head. The voice cackled, enjoying this way too much.

_**What a good leader you are, Jeffory. When you all die, you can be remembered as the one leader who couldn't even encourage his distraught teammates! What an honor!**_

Jeffory sighed. _Just... stop. Please..._ He begged the voice mentally. To his surprise, it did. Still, even though the voice was done taunting him (for now), its words still stuck with him. What kind of a leader couldn't even cheer up his team? What kind of a leader allows his friends to be in pain before their final battle?

What kind of a leader drags his team into a losing battle...?

Several more minutes passed, when Hunter's parents, along with the scientists, returned.

Jeffory didn't notice them, as he was still dwelling on the voice's taunts. It was only when Jack tapped him on the shoulder that he realized they had returned.

Mrs. Tagari awkwardly introduced herself to Jeffory and Jack, as did Mr. Tagari.

"We've installed several new Ion Cannons to the ship. We've also installed stronger shields and repaired the damaged ones," Mr. Tagari said, his eyes fixed on his son. Hunter could feel his father's eyes on him but he refused to look back at him.

Jeffory, hoping to get Hunter out of this awkward situation, stood up and shook the older man's paw. "Thank you, sir. We appreciate this very much," he said, still feeling awkward. Mr. Tagari nodded. "Our pleasure," he responded, letting go of Jeffory's hand. He then looked over at his wife, who was talking to Hunter quietly.

"Is there any way I can talk you out of this?" she asked Hunter, trying in vain to get him to look at her. Hunter shook his head. "Mom, I'm sorry, but I want to do this. Jeffory and Jack... they're my family, too."

Mrs. Tagari sniffled, wiping her eyes. "Jason!" she said to her husband. "Say something to him! Tell him it's too dangerous!" she cried, not caring in the least that she was making a scene.

Mr. Tagari walked over to his son. "Hunter Tagari, you listen to me. I will not allow you to do this!" he told his son, who looked away. "You are staying with us, do you hear me?" he ordered.

Hunter nodded. For a moment Jeffory began to panic, but was relived when Hunter said, "I hear you. But I won't listen. I'm not a little boy anymore! This is something that I HAVE to do. I'll be fine. I need you both to trust me-for once in your life- trust me!" he told them, standing up.

He stood toe-to-toe with his father for several moments, neither of them blinking. Finally, Mr. Tagari stepped down. "...Very well," he sighed, making his wife gasp in horror. "What?"

Jeffory patted Hunter on the back, getting his attention. Jeffory motioned towards the door. Hunter nodded. "I'll come back, Mom. Dad. I promise," he told them before walking out the door. Jeffory and Jack followed him, leaving behind Mr. Tagari and his now-hysterical wife.

As they returned to their ship, Jeffory couldn't help but feel much respect for Hunter. In fact, he had trouble recognizing him. The once timid, nerdy Kougra, had become more of a man than Jeffory felt he could ever be, all in only a few minutes. Jeffory could only hope to be half the man Hunter had become.

**Alrighty, there you have it; end of chapter 24. I'll see you all next Friday!**

**LaDude out.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey, hey, HEEEEY! I'm back, it's almost time for the grand finale! Enjoy.**

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 25: Mission: almost-impossible.**

They sat in their ship for at least ten minutes in total silence, steeling themselves.

When Hunter sat down in the pilot's seat, a piece of paper taped to the yoke caught his attention. He leaned in closer and began reading it.

"Dear Hunter,

I know you can probably never forgive me for the way I treated you growing up. I never gave you the opportunity to be what you were and still are: a kid. I am writing this to say that I am, and always will be, proud of you. I know I cannot stop you, but forgive me if I try.

After you ran way from home, the only thing your mother and I had of you were your inventions. I will admit, I had never seen anything like them, and I was impressed. The only reason I was able to get everything installed on your airship correctly was because of those inventions. When you were gone, I tried to take interest in the things you enjoyed, for once in my entire time as your father, and thanks to that, this ship will get you where you need to go.

I will always love you, son."

Hunter read over the letter several more times, his eyes welling up with tears. After the last read, he allowed them to flow for a moment. He couldn't believe it. His dad had actually cared about what he did. He actually paid attention to how he put things together... he was actually proud of him. He sniffled one last time before giving the letter one last read. "I'll make you proud, Mom... Dad," he whispered, folding the letter up and placing it in his pocket.

After composing himself, he took in a deep breath.

"Air Slasher Mark 2: LAUNCH!" Hunter shouted, at long last as he sent the ship off into the reaches of Space. Their target? The Space Station.

Jeffory clutched his armrests tightly as the ship's speed increased. He couldn't believe it. After all this time, he was finally on his way to the Station. Things might not have gone according to plan, but none of that mattered now. His objective was in plain sight. He pulled his head out of the clouds when the radar showed several enemies moving towards their position.

He turned to Jack, who was uncharacteristically quiet. "Enemies at twelve 'o clock!" he shouted. Jack nodded, shooting one down. "I see 'em!" he responded, fixing the crosshairs on an approaching ship.

Hunter pulled the ship into a dive, avoiding the incoming lazers from the Space Station, as they drew ever-closer.

"Hold on, guys!" he shouted over his shoulder. Two enemy ships were closing in fast, one from behind the ASM2 and another from the front.

"Hunter, they're gonna hit us!" Jeffory shouted. Hunter shook his head and went into a barrel roll, causing the enemies to collide with eac hother, exploding into measly scrap metal.

"Haha!" Jack taunted at the now-destroyed fighters. "Ya can't get us!"

"Focus, monkey brain!" Hunter shouted at the Mynci, who was now blowing raspberries.

Jack deflated, returning to silently shooting suckers out of the sky.

Hunter's eyes were filled with determintaion as he drew ever closer to the Station. Only a little farther...!

**BANG!**

"Ahh!" the three teens shouted as the ship lurched violently. "Damn!" Jeffory cursed, looking at the monitor. "The left wing has been damaged! We have to land. NOW!" he shouted to Hunter. "I know, I know!" he snapped in response, remaining fixated on the Station.

Jeffory looked out the window and cursed. They were descending! "We're losing altitude!" he shouted over Jack's terrified screams. "This is a minor setback!" Hunter responded, more to himself than Jeffory. "Hold on, guys... we can just make it..." Hunter muttered.

The ship approached the hangar at alarming speed. But at the last second, Hunter pulled a sharp turn, the left wing almost scraping the Station. "Wha-?" Jack shouted, bewildered. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, HUNTER?" he roared, shooting another ship that got way too close. "We need to take out the cannons, so they don't shoot us down when we leave later!" he responded.

"But we're losing altitude!" Jeffory cried, his eyes widening as the ship descended farther.

Hunter ignored him. "Jack, when I give the signal, fire like crazy!" he shouted. "Wha?" Jack shouted back. "Wait for the signal!" Hunter told him.

Barrel-rolling out of the way of a fighter, Hunter began counting down from ten under his breath. 10...

Jeffory winced as they took another hit.

9...

Jack shot another fighter down, cheering as he did so.

8.

More barrel rolls.

7.

Descending lower...!

6.

"HUNTER!" Jeffory shouted.

5.

"SHUT UP!" Hunter responded, shocking Jeffory into silence with the fury in his voice.

4.

"Jack, get ready!"

3.

"Okay..."

2.

They were an inch from the main cannon, now.

1!

"JACK, NOW!" Hunter ordered.

"Okay!" Jack responded, opening fire, destroying cannons as they flew by.

Blinding explosions and deafening booms filled the area around them. Hunter's lightning-fast reflexes were what saved them from being blown out of the air as he barrel rolled away from the explosions and quickly changed to a loop, flying into the hanger. The hangar door slammed shut behind them.

The ASM2 skidded across the metal floor, stopping right before crashing into a wall.

The three teens sat completely still, stunned by their success. After several moments, Jack let out an ear-shattering cheer. "F**K YEAH! WE DID IT!" he roared, making Jeffory and Hunter jump out of their skins. "We did do it..." Hunter whispered. "I did it!" he cheered, his voice raising as he jumped out of the pilot's seat and began dancing around the ship.

Jeffory, after recovering from his initial shock, got to his feet and joined Hunter in his victory dance. He stopped, however, when he hit his head on the ceiling.

After regaining their wits, the three young men exited the ship. Jeffory looked around, his hand on Arrow of Life's handle. "Something's not right..." he muttered. "Where's the 'welcome party'?" he asked. Honestly, he was expecting endless troops to ambush them...

Jack looked around as well. "Yeah..." he muttered, shrinking his Shock Pistol and placing it back in his pocket. "I thought ol' Kass woulda been expecting us, y'know?" he stated, glancing around again.

Hunter, meanwhile, was examining the ASM2 with a rueful look on his face. "This could be a problem..." he muttered.

Jeffory turned around to look at the ship and groaned. The right wing was ripped off. They must've lost the wing when they sped into the hangar at the last minute. Getting back to Earth might be a problem. Ha! "Might." Try "will definitely."

"We can't worry about it now," Jeffory sighed, wincing when Hunter gave him a death glare. "She'll hold together for our ride back to Earth, but we can't afford to wait any longer! Kass is gonna attack Meridell again, if we don't hurry," Jeffory stated, sending Hunter an apologetic look.

After a moment, the Kougra sighed loudly but nodded. "Yeah..." he muttered.

"Be on guard, though. Kass might have an ambush waiting for us up ahead, understood?" ordered Jeffory. His friends saluted, Jack added a sarcastic "Yes, commander, sir!" for good measure. Jeffory jokingly made a rude hand gesture before leading them through a large steel door. It opened with a loud hiss and they proceeded through.

Billius Drake Kass chuckled wickedly. He was impressed with the Knights boy's ability to thwart every effort of his to destroy him. However, Knights didn't do all this by himself. Those other boys with him helped him get this far, after all. Conveniantly, Kass had taken down that Mage Girl on the Academy.

He chuckled again, a little louder this time. It had been fun to torment those children. Oh, how he loved the crunching of those little, weak bones as he snapped them in half-no-CRUSHED them. The screams of pain, the dark red blood splattering on the rooftop, the horror in their eyes as they witnessed TRUE pain...

"Hahahaha..." he rumbled, his shoulder plates clanging as his body shook with cruel, dark mirth.

And of course, that wretched Adam Grey had to make an appearance. It had been all too easy ending his existence. Unfortunately, he had gotten in the way of his triumph over Jeffory Knights but still, a kill was a kill. Even though it had been one of his best friends.

_Oh, well. To have power, you have to make sacrifices... _he thought to himself.

"And what a fine kill it was..." he hissed, unsheathing his dark sword and examining the blood-stained blade. His pupils shrunk as he breathed in the foul smell. He had learned to love that smell, unlike most who were revolted by it, he couldn't get enough. He took in another whiff before sheathing it again.

"Little Jeffory... Your end is near. But not before you give me what I desire... Your blood will stain my blade for all of eternity," he whispered.

He was brought out of his reverie as weak groan reached his ears. He slowly turned around and peered into the dark corner of the room. "You'll be able to watch your dear friend die before you," Kass addressed the scared fgure.

"In fact, you get a front row seat!"

He then began to full-out roar with laughter, the maniacal sound bouncing off the walls and ringing through the Station.

Deep within the Station, Jeffory stopped walking as a shiver went down his back. Jack, who had been following closely behind, walked right into Jeffory. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm walkin' here!" he joked, smacking Jeffory on the back.

The Kyrii said nothing, simply frozen in place. "Hey, you okay?" asked Hunter, catching up to his friends. Once again, Jeffory said nothing. Hunter tilted his head to the side, like a confused puppy and rotated around Jeffory, standing in front of his leader.

Jeffory's face was... terrified. He just stood there staring at the ground, like he feared something would jump up and eat his face. "Hey! Jeff!" Hunter called. Jeffory blinked, looking around drunkenly. After a moment, he regained himself, looking at his friends. "Something's wrong... I dunno why, but I feel a presence here. Like there's something..." he trailed off, staring at the hallway ahead of him.

Jack chuckled. "What, gettin' the pre-showdown jitters?" he asked, trying to lighten up his friend.

"Yeah..." Jeffory muttered. He hoped that was all it was. "Let's keep going," he told them, before walking down the hall.

"Hey, y'know something that bothers me?" asked Jack as they walked down the long, seemingly endless hall.

"What?" asked Hunter.

"Why would Kass leave the inside of the Station unguarded? I mean, in the movies, there would be all kinds of traps to slow us down or kill us!" Jack explained, baffled.

Jeffory spoke up. "I think... he's going to try and bargain with me..." he told them.

Hunter and Jack stopped, and gave each other confused looks. Jeffory didn't notice them stop and kept walking.

"What are you talkin' about?" inquired Jack.

"When I came here the first time, Kass tried to get me to give him some 'power'," he told them. "I didn't know what he meant at the time, so I refused. I think I know what it is now. And I'm 90% sure he's going to try and take it again. If I died before then, he would've lost a chance to get it from me," Jeffory explained as best as he could. But he didn't talk to them at all after his brief story and kept walking.

As they came to the area of the Station Jeffory remembered from his first visit, Jeffory began to jog forward. His friends followed as best they could, trusting that their leader knew what he was doing.

Further in, Jeffory broke into a sprint, tearing down the hallway. The door that led to the bridge was just ahead, and Jeffory was growing eager to face Kass and free his friend.

He stopped to catch his breath when he got to the door, turning around to face his teammates. "Kass is in there," he warned. "Are... you guys ready?" he asked.

They nodded. "Don't try and turn us back now, Jeff. We won't leave you - not now, not ever. We're a team! We do this together," Hunter said.

Jack nodded. "Hunter's right. You didn't give up on me, and I won't give up on you," he told Jeffory firmly.

The Kyrii stared at the ground before nodding. He gave them a small smile. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate you guys," he said, feeling his eyes grow watery. He shook it off, and smiled widely. "Let's do this!" he told them, getting enthusiastic nods from the other two. He nodded back and opened the large, steel door.

Jeffory ran into the room, sword at the ready. "Alright, Kass! Come out!" he called. Jack and Hunter ran in after him, looking around wearily. No response, so Jeffory tried again.

"KASS!" he shouted. Still no response. Thinking Kass may be in the shadows, Jeffory began swinging his sword. Arrow of Life swished through the air as Jeffory swung over and over again. His anger grew when he came up with nothing.

Jack stepped back from his angry leader and looked around the room. He spied something, or someone, in the far right corner of the Bridge. "Hey! Jeff!" he called.

Jeffory stopped his mindless show of aggression, panting heavily. "Damn it! Where is that-"

"JEFFORY!" Hunter shouted, getting his friend's attention. "Look!" he said, motioning to the corner with his head.

Jeffory squinted, trying to see who it was. "Is that...?" he muttered, running over to the figure.

He dropped to his knees in front of the form. Jeffory gasped, he couldn't believe his eyes! It was...

"Sam!" Jeffory shouted, upon recognizing the battered Kacheek. Jeffory felt his heart clench once he got a good look at his friend. He looked, if possible, worse than Jack had after his encounter with the SilverWing. His clothes were ripped, stained with blood and they smelt horrible, his arm was mangled, one eye was swollen shut and his entire face was covered with dry blood.

"Sam, Sam! Wake up, please!" he begged, feeling around for a pulse. To Jeffory's pleasure, the Kacheek began to cough-a very hoarse cough. "J-Jeff-o-ry...?" he rasped. Jeffory nodded. "Yeah! It's me! I came back for you," he told his friend. Sam began hacking again, coughing up blood that splashed on the ground.

"Don't worry, Sam... I'll get you out of here, I promise!" Jeffory said, gently helping Sam to his feet. He slung the Kacheek's good arm over his shoulder and began, slowly walking towards the exit.

Jack, who was about to open the door, gasped. "Jeffory!" he called.

Jeffory looked over his shoulder and cursed. In the center of the room, Kass appeared from the shadows. "Well, hello, Jeffory... You came back to take up my offer after all?" he asked, mockingly.

Jeffory, still holding Sam up, glared at the Eyrie. "No. No, I haven't. I came to free Sam and avenge my parents! You won't get anything from me!" Jeffory shouted defiantly.

"J-Jeffory's right...!" Sam rasped, weakly glaring at the Eyrie through his good eye.

Jack and Hunter ran to either side of Jeffory, pulling out their weapons.

Kass just laughed. "You are all just... children! That's all you are! One of you can barely stand!" he taunted. "You are fools to stand against me!" he shouted.

Jeffory growled, pointing his sword at him. "I don't get it! Why didn't you kill me on the Academy? All you did was break my leg! Tell me!" he demanded.

Kass sighed. "I wanted to determine if what my men said was true..." Kass explained.

At Jeffory's confused look, Kass continued. "I've had people watching you... I know ALL about what you REALLY are," he told him.

Jeffory's eyes widened. "Wha-?" he gasped.

"Oh, I know. The fits of rage that you can't even remember? Those are becuase of your inner demon! It has been there all along!" Kass explained, grinning wickedly at Jeffory's horrified face.

"But, unfortunately, you weren't angry enough for me to witness your mass power...

"I can't imagine why, as you had almost gotten your friends killed becuase of your foolish ambitions, isn't that right?" Kass asked him mockingly. Jeffory's defiant look disappeared and he hung his head, ashamed.

"Don't let him get to you, Jeff!" Jack called from next to him, snapping Jeffory from his guilty thoughts.

"For once, Jack's right! Who cares what Kass says? We were willing to follow you all this way, regardless of the consequences!" Hunter agreed. Jeffory nodded, will power restored.

Kass scoffed. "Enough of this garbage! I just might vomit!" he snarled.

"I will give you one more chance. You can surrender your powers to me, or you can have them ripped from your very body. What will it be?" he asked, extending his hand for Jeffory to take.

"I won't! You may think I'm going to lie down and die, but you're wrong! I won't surrender to you! I will never give up!" Jeffory roared in response.

Kass growled, his eyes flaring a deeper red. "Then... you will SUFFER!" he roared. He began to glow once again.

Kass shot out a dark purple beam of energy directly at the Kyrii. Jeffory gasped as something inside of him began to stir. The evil... What was...?

**THIS... POWER!**

The voice was... reacting? It was as if the massive evil in front of him spurred it on!

Jeffory clutched his chest and dropped to the ground, accidentally dropping Sam in the process.

"JEFFORY!" his friends cried, only to get no response. He couldn't handle the pain. His eyes began to turn black again, and his body twitched rapidly. "N-not... now!" Jeffory groaned. He didn't dare to look up at the beam coming towards him.

In his desperate attempt to keep the monster in, he didn't notice Sam get to his feet...

_**BOOM!**_

The pain stopped in an instant and Jeffory's head shot up to witness a horrible sight. Sam had shielded him from the blow!

"No...!" Jeffory whispered.

Sam stayed in the air as electricity flowed through him and black flames engulfed him.

"NOOO!" Jeffory cried, as he watched his friend scream in pain.

Jeffory got to his feet and tried to pull Sam down, but instead, he was knocked backwards by a powerful force.

Then, it was over. Sam dropped to the ground, twitching. Jeffory shook the cobwebs out of his head and scrambled back to his friend, dropping to his knees at his friend's side, not believing what was happening. This couldn't be happening...

Sam's fur had been burned away, revealing charred flesh. His good eye was slowly losing its light and his breathing was slow and ragged.

Jeffory slowly took his friend's hand. "I'm going to get you out of here! I promise! We- we-"

Sam cut him off, hacking. "J-j-Jeffory..." he gasped. "Yo-you... w-e-re my... best... friend... A-nd yo-u a-a-always... wi-w-will be..." he wheezed. Giving Jeffory's hand a weak squeeze.

"T-thanks f-for a- every...thing..." he whispered as his eye began to close.

"No-No! I'm go-gonna get you out of h-here... I'll get you...!" Jeffory wailed, trying to fight the tears.

"C-can y-you... do m-me... a favor...?" wheezed Sam.

"Anything..." Jeffory responded, softly.

"T-te-ll... M-Mom I'm... so-s-sor-ry... and t-ell he-r I... lo-ve her..." he asked, coughing.

"I will..." Jeffory told him. Sam gave him one last smile, before taking in one last gulp of air. His arm went limp and fell to the ground. Jeffory's eyes widened. No... this couldn't be...!

Everything they had been through together! No! Sam couldn't!

"NO!" Jeffory wailed, weeping over his friend's dead body.

_Why...? Why did this have to happen?_ he cried in his head.

"I-I failed you, S-Sam... I b-broke my p-promise..." he whispered.

Jack and Hunter stayed silent. Their hearts ached for their friend, but they didn't know what they could do for him.

It felt like hours that Jeffory wept, until Kass finally spoke. "Pathetic!" he taunted.

Jeffory, still crying, slowly raised his head to look at the monsterous man before him.

"Only a fool weeps over a fallen man. Only a stupid child!" Kass continued.

Jeffory let out an in-human snarl and got to his feet, tears still streaming down his face.

"You... you! YOU BASTARD!" he roared. "You murderer!" he screamed, reaching for his sword.

He wiped his eyes of tears, before pointing the sword at Kass."I won't let you kill anyone else..." he whispered.

"For the dreams you've crushed, for the futures you've destroyed and the lives you have ended - I will destroy you!" Jeffory roared charging forward at the Eyrie. Jack and Hunter followed.

Kass just laughed. "You will regret challenging me!" he responded, charging as well.

This would decide the world's fate. This would end it. The final showdown... had begun.

**And there you have it. The showdown will be next chapter. Read and review and I'll see you all next week!**

**LaDude out.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Not much to say here, other than that this is the LAST chapter. **

**Defenders of Neopia chapter 26: One last hope.**

Jeffory locked blades with Kass, his eyes still filled with fury. This time, Jeffory would win. He couldn't lose! Not after what Kass did to his friend!

Jeffory, using all of his might, began to overpower the Eyrie. "You... How dare you kill Sam?" Jeffory snarled. "Oh, spare me! How many men have YOU killed? In one day? How many?" Kass responded in a scathing tone.

"Shut up!" Jeffory snapped in response. ''I'm not like you! I don't kill for FUN!" Jeffory continued, forcing Kass even farther. Unfortunately, Jeffory didn't see what Kass had up his sleeve until it was too late.

Kass used one leg to sweep Jeffory's feet out from underneath him, grabbing Jeffory around the throat while he was still in mid-air.

"GAH!" Jeffory wheezed as Kass' began to squeeze.

While the two were distracted, Jack snuck up from behind and jumped on Kass' back. Wrapping his arms around his neck, Jack began applying pressure to his throat, hoping to make him drop his friend.

Kass continued to squeeze the life out of his prey, before growing tired. He began to hack as Jack squeezed tighter. He dropped the Kyrii, who landed on face-first on the floor gasping for air.

Kass began writhing around, trying in vain to shake the Mynci off of his back to no avail. "Let me... GO!" he rasped, but Jack only squeezed tighter.

While he continued to flail around, Hunter came at him and, with lightning speed, wrapped his tail around his leg and pulled him to the ground, moving out of his way as he landed on his face with a dull thud.

Jack, still on his back, took a risk and reached into his pocket for his Shock Pistol. Kass, still dazed from the impact, could only groan when Jack held the gun to his throat.

"Gotcha!" the Mynci cheered, only to shout out in pain when Kass rolled onto his back, crushing Jack under-neath him.

"Ha!" Kass roared in triumph, getting to his feet and leaving Jack clutching at his chest.

"Jack!" Jeffory shouted in horror as he attempted to run to his friend's side, only to be met by Kass' blade. "Surprise!" Kass laughed swiping at the Kyrii, who ducked under it and sweep-kicked Kass' feet. Unfortunately, Kass jumped over it, bringing his sword down at Jeffory, who rolled out of the way.

Meanwhile, Hunter made his way to Jack's side. "Hey, hey, hey! You okay?" he asked, wincing when all Jack did in response was groan. Hunter sighed, gripping Jack's shirt collar with his teeth and pulling him over to the corner, out of Jeffory and Kass' way.

Back with Jeffory, things weren't looking to good. Kass now had him against the wall, their blades locked once again.

"You know something, Jeffory?" said Kass, pushing Jeffory farther back into the wall. "It's a shame it had to come to this. After all, you had SO much potential!" he continued. All Jeffory did in response was bare his teeth, which were becoming more and more fang-like with each passing second.

Kass' eyes widened, and in doing so he let his guard down. Jeffory took advantage of this and used all his might to push Kass away. But he didn't stop there. Jeffory leapt ontop of the Eyrie, knocking him to the ground and began punching him in the face, over and over.

From the corner, Hunter just stared, horrorfied at Jeffory's rage. He watched as Jeffory pounded on Kass, who was crying out in pain, helpless.

As this went on, Jeffory's blows grew faster and harder, to the point that Kass' cries for mercy were drowned out by the sound of Jeffory's fists colliding with his face.

Hunter wanted to call out to Jeffory and tell him to stop. God forbid another event like in the cave happened... when Jeffory lost control. For some reason, though, he couldn't find his voice. So he watched on.

Finally, Jeffory stopped, as he seemed to regain his senses. Kass was gasping for breath and his face was bruised and his beak was bent. However, Kass proved that he still had some fight left in him when he punched Jeffory in the jaw, knocking the teenager off of him.

Jeffory slammed into the far wall, crying out in pain. As he slid down the wall, Kass got to his feet, glowing once again with the purple light. The light faded away, revealing Kass. He looked completely unharmed, like he hadn't been beaten into a pulp by Jeffory at all!

Jeffory, who was laying face-down on the ground, slowly raised his head to glare at Kass.

Said Eyrie began stalking over to him, his metal boots clanging across the hard floor as he drew ever closer.

Hunter finally gathered his courage and ran at Kass with a furious cry. He pounced at him, his claws extending. Kass had other plans. Hunter froze in midair like Jeffory had during their last battle.

Kass examined Hunter for a minute. "Ah, right!" he laughed, pounding his fist onto his palm with an "aha!" look on his face. "You're that Tagari boy, aren't you?" he asked the Kougra who couldn't speak. "Let me give you a bit of advice: NEVER attack your enemy head on," he stated, before he thrust his palm into the Kougra's face, sending him careening over to Jack where he collided with the wall, falling unconcious.

Kass was startled when a oice to his right shouted: "THAT DOES IT!"

He whirled around to see Jeffory come charging at him on all fours, his animal-like powers taking effect.

Kass rolled to the side, hoping to avoid Jeffory as he barreled over to him. Unfortunately for him, Jeffory changed directions, colliding with Kass from behind, sending them rolling across the ground.

At last they came to a stop. Kass pulled himself away from the crazed Kyrii, backing away slowly as he gasped in horror.

Jeffory's transformation had taken full effect. His fur had turned as white as a ghost, his eyes were completely black and filled with rage, his teeth were now shining, white fangs and his nails were long, black claws. His arms were now muscular, his ears drooped, his hair was (if possible) even messier and it was also black.

Kass regained himself for what must've been the fifth time that night and laughed. His theory was correct! At last, he could harness the negative energy that was inside Jeffory. At last he could rule it all! Or so he thought.

Jeffory was once again upon him, mauling the Eyrie, biting him, punching, etc. Inside Jeffory's mind, he was trying in vain to control the fury that was slowly taking over.

He was in the void once again, being held up in the air by a hand clutching him around the throat. Jeffory flailed around, desperately trying to break free and regain control of himself. He couldn't lose it! Not now!

Kass' screams filled the Station as Jeffory mauled him. From the corner, Jack was slowly coming to. He could've sworn he saw a... demon. Kass was writhing on the floor as this... thing annhilated him.

Back inside Jeffory's mind, things were not going well. Not well at all. The invisible force still held him in the air, slowly squeezing the life out of him. He couldn't take it! He wasn't a monster! He would NOT be defeated! Not by Kass and not by this monster!

Suddenly, he was released from the monster's grip and he dropped to the ground. Jeffory lay face-down, stunned. What had happened? What could've possibly happened to make the creature let him go? He pondered aimlessly for several moments before his train of thought was broken. What broke it? The sound of roaring flames.

He slowly turned around to see a large flame burning brightly. The warmth emnating from it drew him closer to it, like a magnet. As he drew closer, the flame grew brighter and bigger, lighting the darkness.

After what seeme like hours, Jeffory finally reached the flame. For the first time in a while, he felt truly safe. This warm flame comforted him, and all he did was look into it. In fact, looking into it, he felt power. Amazing power! He felt like he could do anything!

Suddenly, the flames reached out and engulfed him, filling him with power. The darkness faded away...

Kass, bloody and beaten, lay on the ground gasping for breath. He had been trying desperately to fend off this deranged Kyrii that was trying to kill him, when suddenly Jeffory had recoiled and was now laying curled up a few feet away from him.

Kass forced himself to his feet and slowly moved over to the Kyrii's body. Jeffory had returned to his normal form and was gasping for breath. Kass chuckled. At last, he could put an end to this wretched boy. The darkness once again covered his body, healing his injuries. He raised his mighty blade above his head, building suspense...

_BOOM!_

Blinding light filled the room, and Jeffory's body slowly rose up from the cold, metal floor. Kass cursed. Not now!

Kass cried out in surprise as an unknown force sent him careening backwards and crashing into the wall. He slid to the ground, landing with a "thump." He raised his head to witness a magnificent sight.

Flames had engulfed Jeffory's body, but he didn't appear to be in any pain! In fact, he was enjoying it! A wry smile appeared on his face and he looked rejuvenated. "Alright, Kass," he started, slowly descending to the ground.

"Time for me to end this!" he stated, pointing his sword at the Eyrie. From his position on the floor, Kass began to chuckle, which turned into a full-blown cackle.

Jeffory crossed his arms, bored. "Are you done?" he asked sarcastically. In the corner, both Jack and Hunter had regained their conciousness and they couldn't believe what they saw. Jeffory seemed so different as he stood, his body covered in flames. The look on his face, the tone in his voice, even the way he stood seemed so different. He was so... confident - so sure of himself! And at the same time, he seemed more mature. Almost like an entirely different entity had taken over his body.

Kass' deranged laughter stopped and he got to his feet, brushing his scorched armour off, bored. "I must admit..." he muttered, cracking his neck muscles. "I am impressed. You've finally managed to gain full control of your powers!" he congratulated, clapping his hands in a slow, ominous sort of way.

"But you see, I cannot let you live much longer. After all, you are finally a potential threat to me... and you see, that will never do." He stopped clapping and picked up his sword, which was laying on the ground in front of him.

Jeffory nodded, grinning. "Y'know something? I was thinking... the exact... same... thing!" he told Kass, as the flames around his body grew in intensity. Jeffory couldn't believe what these powers had done for him! He felt so complete! It was like this was what he was born to do! With a mighty battle cry, he ran at Kass, sword pointing straight ahead. His body was surrounded by scorching flames.

The heat was so intense that Jack and Hunter had to wipe sweat off of their brows, as they marveled at their leader's new found power.

Kass' purple energy surrounded him as well, and he, too, charged.

As they rushed at each other, they accended into the air. Time seemed to slow as they drew nearer and nearer to the other.

And then, it happened. They clashed in midair, each knocking the other backwards and repeating the process over and over, sparks flying off of their bodies. As they did this, Sam's forgotten body was blown over to Jack and Hunter, the former catching it in respect. Ignoring the searing heat, he placed the body down, leaning against the wall, keeping it out of harm's way.

Jeffory and Kass' clashing grew faster, and harder, to the point that all that could be seen were to blurs, one purple and one firey-red, slamming into each other.

The purple blur veered away from the red, and whooshed past Jack and Hunter. It smashed through the closed door and retreated through the long corridor that had been revealed.

The red blur followed suit, the heat leaving the room as it did so.

Jeffory and Kass sped down the hall, ricocheting off of the walls and clashing with each other all the way.

As the Station corridors whizzed by, Jeffory couldn't help but recognize this area... They were coming towards the dungeon that the robot goons had locked him and Sam in...

_SLAM!_

The two slammed into the aforementioned room and their energy faded, leaving them in complete darkness.

Jeffory dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. He felt so drained! He had felt such extreme power... and now that it was gone, he felt so weak, so inferior. He was sweating like crazy, he could barely keep his eyes open and he just couldn't seem to catch his breath.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice from somewhere within the room began taunting him.

"Exhausting, isn't it?" Kass asked, in a voice that would make a baby vomit. "Y'know, if you join me now, I can teach you to use that power whenever you want. And best of all, you wouldn't even be tired!" he continued.

Jeffory ignored him, glancing around the room. The room had been so small the last time he had been here, and it wasn't this dark before. Kass must've been using his powers to make it like this, giving him the upper hand.

But still, the room was small which meant Kass was close. All Jeffory had to do was listen to the sound of his voice. Kass' arrogance would be his downfall...

Jeffory closed his eyes and stood completely still.

Silence.

Then, the hair on the back of Jeffory's neck stood up and his reflexes took affect. He did a front flip, feeling something whizz past his head.

He landed on his feet behind that something, and whirled around.

Within a split second, it was over. Jeffory rammed his sword forward, and with a "splice", Kass let out a groan. Slowly, he looked down at the sword protruding from his chest. He couldn't believe it... From behind him, Jeffory spoke, in a low, almost sadistic, voice.

"Hey, Kass..." he hissed. "NEVER attack your enemy head on," he told him. With a "hmph" he pulled Arrow of Life out of Kass' back. Kass gurgled as he dropped to his knees, blood pouring out of his chest. Around them, the darkness faded from the room, allowing Jeffory to truly see what he had done.

Jeffory stared at Kass. The once-terrifying Eyrie was on his knees, holding his chest and quivering, like he feared Death's cold embrace. "Boy..." he whispered, blood leaking from his mouth. "Well... done. You have become... m-more l-l-like... me..." he whispered, sending a chill down Jeffory's spine. With one last groan, Kass slumped forward, a pool of blood forming under-neath him.

Jeffory stared down at his nemesis. At last, he had avenged them... he had avenged them all. He looked at his blood-covered sword and sighed. "I will never be like you Kass. You..." he trailed off as he began walking out the door.

As he stepped into the corridor, he glanced over his shoulder at the once-threatening man. "...can rot in Hell." And then, the door whizzed shut behind him, leaving Kass to die in complete darkness.

Revenge... When, at long last, you achieve it, what do you have to live for?

Unfortuantely for Jeffory, he might not live long enough to find the answer.

**R&R please, LaDude out.**


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